Wrongful dismissal refers to a situation where an employer ends your employment without giving proper notice or adequate severance pay as outlined by employment standards and contract terms. In Toronto, just like across Ontario, employers have the right to terminate employees, but they must either provide reasonable notice or pay in lieu of notice.
If you’ve been let go without sufficient compensation, or forced to resign due to toxic or pressured work conditions (constructive dismissal), you may have legal grounds to challenge it.
Not all terminations are illegal, but some common red flags include:
If any of these occurred, consult a Toronto employment lawyer before signing anything.
We represent employees in wrongful dismissal matters across all of Ontario — Cities we serve include:
Mississauga, Brampton, Ottawa, Kitchener etc
Read More:
Understanding the ESA vs. Common Law: Severance Pay Rights in Ontario
Termination Clauses in Employment Contracts: How to Protect Your Common-Law Rights
Use our free severance calculator to get an instant estimate based on your years of service, age, and role, before you speak to anyone.
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Vishal SoodWhen an employer ends someone’s job in Toronto, they’re required to do so either with cause or by providing reasonable notice of termination.
If neither of these conditions is met, the dismissal may be considered wrongful meaning the employee is legally owed compensation instead of notice. The purpose of this notice period is to give the employee a fair opportunity to find similar work. During that time, you may still be eligible for regular employment benefits such as salary, car allowance, or pension contributions.
If you’ve been let go without cause in Toronto, here’s a clear guide to your severance and wrongful dismissal rights.
In most termination without cause cases, the amount of compensation you’re owed depends on a few key factors:
Sometimes, employers argue they had just cause and aren’t obligated to provide notice. But this argument often doesn’t hold up in court especially if the alleged cause doesn’t meet legal standards. In those cases, the court may rule the termination was wrongful.
Even if there’s some justification, unless your actions meet the strict definition of wilful misconduct, you may still be eligible for severance compensation under the Employment Standards Act and may qualify for Employment Insurance.
Not sure what you’re legally owed? See exactly what terminated without cause means for Toronto employees.
Not sure about your rights after termination? Our team of employment law experts can help you understand your entitlements.
Contact usIn Toronto, there are two forms of notice that might apply to your situation:
You’re legally entitled to at least statutory notice, but many employees are owed much more through common law especially if they’ve worked for several years, held senior roles, or are older workers with fewer immediate job opportunities.
Key factors that influence your reasonable notice period include:
Many Toronto employees don’t realise the one-week-per-year rule is just the starting point. Understand the real difference between termination pay and severance pay in Toronto.
Not sure about your rights after termination? Our team of employment law experts can help you understand your entitlements.
Contact usIf you’ve recently been dismissed and believe it was unfair, you’re not alone and you don’t have to handle it alone. At Taman Singh Law, we support employees across Toronto through every step of a wrongful dismissal claim.
Whenever possible, we aim to resolve matters without heading to court. In many cases, we’re able to negotiate stronger outcomes within just a few months. But if legal action is necessary, we’re experienced, efficient, and fully prepared to fight for your rights.
If you’ve been fired, your employer might hand you a termination agreement or severance package with a tight deadline. This can be intimidating and it’s meant to be. But don’t rush. Before you sign anything, speak with a Toronto employment lawyer.
We offer consultations to help you review your offer, understand your legal entitlements, and avoid giving up money you’re owed.
Not sure about your rights after termination? Our team of employment law experts can help you understand your entitlements.
Contact usIf you were pressured to resign, that doesn’t mean you gave up your rights. Find out when resigning under pressure is still a dismissal in Ontario.
Not sure about your rights after termination? Our team of employment law experts can help you understand your entitlements.
Contact usMany Toronto employees are offered severance packages that fall short of what they’re legally entitled to. Just because a package looks complete doesn’t mean it reflects your full rights under Ontario employment law.
A severance package may include:
Even employees in short-term roles may be entitled to severance. See what short-term Toronto employees are owed.
Not sure about your rights after termination? Our team of employment law experts can help you understand your entitlements.
Contact us
At Taman Singh Law, your needs come first. We deliver professional, timely, and practical legal services, recognizing that the legal process can feel intimidating.
From our initial consultation, we prioritize excellent customer and legal service, ensuring you are well-informed and supported every step of the way.
We are dedicated to achieving the best possible results for you through a focused and efficient strategy, customized to your individual requirements. Count on us to be your trusted support when you need it most.
Taman Singh is a lawyer at RZCD Law Firm LLP, a firm with a long-standing commitment to the Greater Toronto Area since 1993.
Yes. In Toronto and across Ontario, an employer can end your employment without giving a reason. What they cannot do is fail to compensate you properly for it. A without-cause termination triggers an obligation to provide reasonable notice or pay in lieu — calculated under Ontario common law, not just the Employment Standards Act minimum. The offer in your termination letter is almost never the full amount you are owed.
Severance in Ontario runs on two tracks. The first is the Employment Standards Act minimum — one week per year of service, capped at eight weeks, plus a separate severance component for employees with five or more years at employers with a payroll above $2.5 million. The second is common law reasonable notice, which is almost always higher and is assessed based on your age, length of service, the nature of your role, and how difficult it will be to find comparable work in Toronto’s job market. Most employer offers reflect the ESA floor only.
Constructive dismissal occurs when an employer makes a fundamental, unilateral change to your employment — a pay cut, a demotion, a forced relocation, an RTO mandate that overrides an established remote arrangement — without your consent. Ontario law treats this as a dismissal even though no termination letter was issued. You can resign in response and pursue the same severance as someone who was formally let go. The key is resigning correctly and within a reasonable time a resignation that reads as voluntary can forfeit the claim entirely.
Yes. Ontario courts set a high bar for just cause — serious misconduct such as theft, fraud or wilful insubordination. Poor performance, a personality conflict or a single mistake rarely qualifies. If the cause allegation can’t be proven, the termination converts to without cause and your full severance entitlements follow. The burden of proof rests entirely with the employer.
There is no fixed legal deadline in Ontario. The 48-hour or 72-hour deadlines employers attach are pressure tactics — not legal requirements. They exist to prevent you from speaking to a lawyer before signing. What does have a deadline is your claim: Ontario’s Limitations Act gives you two years from termination to pursue wrongful dismissal. Taking a few days to have the offer reviewed does not cost you your rights. Signing the release does.
Length of service matters — but it is not the only factor. Short-tenure employees are not without options. Employees who were recruited into a role, left stable employment to accept it, or work in a specialised field may be entitled to more than their years of service suggest. Two employees with identical tenure can have meaningfully different entitlements depending on age, seniority and the Toronto job market.