Outgoing Sears Canada employees try to stop $7.6M in bonuses for execs

CTV National News: Legal battle at Sears A legal battle is brewing as Sears workers filed motions to stop executives from receiving millions in bonuses. Jon Erlichman reports.

Former and current employees of Sears Canada have filed a legal motion in an attempt to stop dozens of company executives from splitting $7.6 million in retention bonuses while many laid-off workers miss out on severance payments.

In court documents, lawyers for the employees call the bonus pay “excessive” after 2,900 employees from 59 stores were let go in June.

If the payment goes through, 43 executives would take home bonuses.

A spokesperson for Sears Canada said these sorts of payments are common in restructuring and necessary to keep executives in the business.

But former Sears Canada CEO Mark Cohen told CTV News the workers deserve more support from their employer.

"I would protect the employment of the folks working in stores. I don't know that I would protect the employment of executives who, frankly, are in no small measure responsible for this problem," Cohen said.

After news of the layoffs, numerous stories emerged of long-time employees suddenly being given pink slips. Josee Nadeau, a sales associate for more than 30 years, was out of a job with no severance pay.

“Zero, zero. Nothing,” Nadeau said.

Sears Canada has been dealing with a serious image problem since the layoffs. The hashtag #BoycottSearsCanada began trending on Twitter, and the company’s Facebook page has stopped allowing public posts.

Public relations expert Bob Pickard says the company’s PR headaches could’ve been avoided.

“If they had shared the pain between the executives and the employees, they could have earned trust and galvanized the confidence of consumers going forward. But they’ve lost that chance now,” he said.

Liquidation sales are underway at many of the shuttering Sears stores before they officially close their doors by October. The retailer says prices would be discounted up to 50 per cent.

Sears Canada has said it hopes to complete restructuring by the end of the year.

With a report from BNN’s Jon Erlichman