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Employment and Work

Our Clinic can give you help with issues that arise from your employment, such as termination, employment standards, and employment insurance.

In the event that you are fired or laid off you should contact us for advice. Depending on the circumstances, you could be entitled to damages for wrongful dismissal or for discrimination, to pay in lieu of notice, severance or employment insurance benefits. We can advise you on what options are available to you and how to pursue those options.

Wrongful Dismissal

Generally, workers are only entitled to damages (money) for wrongful dismissal if they are fired without notice and the employer does not have a good reason to fire them. The amount of damages will depend on the length and type of employment, among other factors.

In most cases when a worker is terminated, the main issue is whether they have been provided with appropriate notice or pay in lieu of notice. Entitlement to Employment Insurance (EI) benefits can also be an issue.

If your employment is terminated or you are laid off, please contact us immediately to ensure that your rights are protected.

Employment Standards

In Ontario, most employees are protected by the Employment Standards Act (ESA) that sets out the law with respect to work.

These laws cover hours of work, overtime, wages, vacation, leaves of absence and many other topics. These are minimum standards that workers are entitled to when they are employed. For example:

  • the minimum wage in Ontario for most workers is $14.00 an hour;
  • workers are entitled to at least two weeks vacation for every 12 months worked;
  • in most cases, employees are entitled to overtime pay after working 44 hours in a work week;
  • employees must work a minimum of 13 weeks for an employer to get pregnancy and/or parental leave.

Please contact us if you have any questions or issues with respect to your employment. We can help you with a claim under the ESA.

The Steps to Justice website offers step-by-step information about employment law and other common legal problems.