Employer lying about severance pay

Hey,

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So, about a year ago the company I work at decided that they wanted to renovate. Fast forward to 3 months ago, They started getting all the partners to sign working notice forms at a staff meeting but also told everyone that we would be getting severance pay based on eligibility. Now, where I live(Vancouver, BC), a working notice form, if given in time, can be used to replace severance entirely. Employers have the option of giving only working notice if they so choose, but they can also pair it with severance pay. So thinking that they weren't lying, I signed the document. Fast forward to today, three weeks before we close for renovations, and "suddenly" the manager gets word that nobody is actually getting any severance pay. He said: "I walked away from the meeting at head office with the assumption that everyone would be getting severance." That doesn't make any sense to me, because it should be made very clear during the meeting that he supposedly attended, what would be happening. What I likely think happened is that he chose to lie to everyone because he didn't want to be responsible for the masses of people who would have otherwise left the place(myself included) and have to hire back a whole bunch of people just to close in a few months.

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There are a handful of people who have worked at this place for years(one lady in particular has worked there for 20 years and is foreign and can't entirely defend her own position). I myself have worked there for 4 years(=4 weeks severance pay for me), and we've all been screwed multiple times by the incredibly shitty management. So, we are looking for a way to recoup our losses here. Please help us if you can.

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There is a room full of people who heard the manager say that we would be getting severance pay. He and his partner have also had numerous 1 on 1's with people since the staff meeting, stating privately that severance pay was going to be given. Can we hold him accountable to his/their word at all?

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Thank you guys and girls.

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