Sears Canada faces online calls for boycott over treatment of ex-employees

TORONTO – Sears Canada is facing a social media campaign calling for a boycott after the company said it planned on paying millions in bonuses to keep executives on board during restructuring, despite not offering severance to laid-off workers.

The retailer's Facebook page has been flooded with comments from people vowing not to shop at Sears, and the hashtag #BoycottSearsCanada has been gaining traction on Twitter.

Sears Canada, which is operating under court protection from creditors, began liquidation sales on Friday at 59 department and Sears Home stores slated for closure.

The company has said it plans to cut approximately 2,900 jobs, without severance, while paying $9.2 million in retention bonuses to key staff.

Several people participating in the boycott say they're not spending their hard-earned dollars at a store they say rewards mismanagement at the expense of front-line retail workers.

A retail analyst says that the boycott could impact people still working at the stores, but it may not make a difference if the retailer goes out of business.

Sears Canada declined to comment on the matter.