Severance Package and Termination Clauses
Employees often come to us to review their severance packages. When we review a severance package, one of the questions we ask is whether there is an employment contract with a termination clause. We carefully review the circumstances surrounding the signing of any such contract to determine whether a court will enforce the termination clause.
There are several ways to attack a termination clause, as discussed here.
In the past few years, several Ontario court decisions found that termination clauses which did not provide for the continuation of benefits during the notice period were unenforceable, including in
However, the Ontario Divisional Court addressed the issue of termination clauses. In that case, the employee had been fired and offered a severance package. The employer argued that the severance package was consistent with the employment contract. The employee argued that the termination clause in his contract was not enforceable because it did not provide for the continuation of benefits. The court held that while the termination clause did not clearly state that benefits would be continued during the statutory notice period, it was broad enough to include their continuation. The Court enforced the termination clause.
Lessons for employees:
1. Employment contracts can affect your rights if you are fired. You should have a lawyer review your employment contract in advance of accepting a position.
2. The law on the enforceability of termination clauses is mixed and each case has different facts. If you are fired and provided with a severance package, you should have a lawyer review the offer to see whether it is fair. This is true even if you have a termination clause in your contract because there may be ways to argue that the termination clause is not enforceable.
If you have been terminated and would like to speak with a lawyer about your severance package or your legal rights, contact us at [email protected] or 1-888-640-1728 (toll free) or 647-633-9894 (within the GTA).
The material and information in this blog and this website are for general information only. They should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion. The authors make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of any information referred to in this blog or its links. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found on this website or blog. Readers should obtain appropriate professional advice from a lawyer duly licensed in the relevant jurisdiction. These materials do not create a lawyer-client relationship between you and any of the authors or the MacLeod Law Firm.
Recent Posts
Recent Posts
Justice for Unionized Employees
Unionized employees often seek our advice regarding human rights issues in their workplace. Sometimes this is because human rights violations have occurred and the union is not assisting them. Other times, the union itself may be part of the problem. The rights of...
Employee Entitlements Upon Termination
Termination is a stressful experience for any employee. An employee who has been fired needs to understand what their employer owes them, and what their employer is offering them. When employers do not make this clear, additional damages could be due to the employee....
Notice of Termination: Appeal Court Weighs in
When terminated, an employee should generally receive reasonable notice of termination or pay instead of notice. This is unless the employee has signed a contract that contains an enforceable termination clause (which we’ve written about here). The calculation of the...