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Canada Contract Terms Employment Litigation

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Commu(nica)ted Value: The Québec Superior Court Provides Guidance to Pension Plan Administrators and Employers

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A recent Québec Superior Court decision (Bernard c. Association de bienfaisance et de retraite des policiers et policières de la Ville de Montréal (“Bernard”)) highlights the importance of clear communications with pension...more

Mintz - Employment Viewpoints

Attention Ontario Employers: Ontario Court of Appeal Upholds ESA Termination Clause in Bertsch v Datastealth Inc.

In a rare but significant “win” for employers, the Ontario Court of Appeal confirmed that an employer can enforce a termination provision limiting an employee’s entitlements strictly to the minimum standards under the...more

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Interprétation des dispositions relatives au licenciement : Approches distinctes des tribunaux de la Colombie-Britannique et de...

Aperçu - Il est de plus en plus difficile pour les employeurs de déterminer si les dispositions relatives au licenciement incluses dans leurs contrats d’emploi seraient jugées exécutoires advenant leur contestation devant...more

Bennett Jones LLP

An “Exacting Standard”: the Enforceability of Termination Clauses and the “At Any Time” Conundrum

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Baker v Van Dolder’s Home Team Inc. (Baker) is the latest decision in Ontario to conclude that a termination provision permitting an employer to terminate, without cause, “at any time” is contrary to the Employment Standards...more

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

British Columbia and Ontario: Two Diverging Approaches to Interpreting Termination Provisions

Overview - Employers increasingly face challenges regarding whether termination provisions in their employment agreements will be determined to be enforceable if challenged in court. As we continue to see increasing court...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada Court Finds Employer Repudiated Employment Agreement When it Failed to Pay Employee’s Contractual Severance

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In Timmins v. Artisan Cells, 2025 CanLII 2387, Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice found, in an undefended claim, that the employers “by their correspondence and actions” repudiated the employee’s employment agreement when...more

Bennett Jones LLP

Employment Termination Clauses: Lessons From Singh v Clark Builders

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In a recent decision, the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta upheld a freely negotiated termination clause with a sophisticated employee despite evolution to the employee’s role over the term of employment. The employee’s...more

Mintz - Employment Viewpoints

Sooner the Better: Employers in Canada Should Really Review Their Termination of Employment Clauses

A recent Ontario Court of Appeal (“ONCA”) decision signals a pressing need for Canadian employers to review and consider updating their contractual termination of employment provisions. Otherwise, employers are at risk of...more

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Did the Punishment Fit the Claim? Employer Hit With $25,000 in Punitive Damages for Making Statutory Entitlements Subject to a...

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In its recent decision, Thompson v Revolution Resource Recovery Inc.2025 BCSC 8 (“Thompson”), the Supreme Court of British Columbia (the “Court”) made a $25,000 punitive damages award against an employer for attempting to...more

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Hungry for Consideration in Employment Agreements: Are Peppercorns Off the Menu for Employers?

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In the recent decision of Sui v HungryPanda Tech Ltd., 2024 BCSC 1856 (“HungryPanda”), the Supreme Court of British Columbia invalidated a termination provision in an employment agreement by finding the employer had failed to...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Ontario Court Reaffirms Importance of Clear and Compliant Language in Employment Agreements

In December 2024, the Court of Appeal for Ontario released its highly anticipated decision in Dufault v. Ignace (Township). The three-judge panel determined that the “for cause” termination clause contained in the employee’s...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada Court Reinforces Waksdale’s Impact on Enforceability of Termination Provisions and Provides Guidance on Proving...

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In De Castro v. Arista Homes Limited, 2024 ONSC 1035, Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice (Court) held the termination provision in an employment contract was unenforceable because it defined “cause” more broadly than does...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada Court Finds Termination Clauses in Fixed-Term Employment Agreement Unenforceable

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In Dufault v. The Corporation of the Township of Ignace, 2024 ONSC 1029, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice held that the termination provisions of a fixed-term employment contract were illegal and unenforceable because...more

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Ontario Court Rules Employer's Discretion to Terminate is Shackled by the ESA

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In Dufault v. The Corporation of the Township of Ignace ("Dufault"), the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, on a summary judgment motion, found the termination without cause provision of a fixed-term employment contract...more

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Fixed in Stone - Fixed Term Remains Secure Despite Invalid Termination Clause

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The Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently released its decision in Kopyl v Losani Homes (not yet cited) (the “Decision”), providing insight into the enforceability of fixed terms in employment agreements in circumstances...more

Stikeman Elliott LLP

“Fixing” the Term of Employment: Fixed-Term Agreement defends against Wrongful Dismissal Claim

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In the recent Steele v. The Corporation of the City of Barrie, 2022 ONSC 7245 decision (“Steele”), the Ontario Superior Court of Justice provided some insight into when longer term fixed-term contracts can be enforceable....more

Stikeman Elliott LLP

An Oppressive Outcome: Alberta Court Finds Directors Responsible for Severance Obligations

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The recent decision of the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, Wisser v CEM International Management Consultants Ltd., 2022 ABQB 414, determined that the oppression remedy under the Alberta Business Corporations Act (“ABCA”),...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada Court Decides Employment Contract’s Unenforceable Confidentiality and Conflict-of-Interest Clauses Invalidated All...

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Two years ago in Waksdale v. Swegon North America Inc., 2020 ONCA 391,  the Ontario Court of Appeal established the proper method for determining whether a termination clause in an employment agreement is enforceable. ...more

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Gone in 60 Days (or More): Court of Appeal Finds Termination Clause did not Limit Employee Termination Entitlements

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The Alberta Court of Appeal recently reviewed the enforceability of a termination clause that purported to impose limits on employee termination entitlements. In Bryant v. Parkland School Division, the Court held that a...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada Court Concludes Secondment Agreement Was Not a Fixed-term Employment Agreement

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In Nader v. University Health Network, 2022 ONSC 447, the court examined the language of a secondment agreement and concluded that the plaintiff-employee was not a fixed-term employee of the organization to which he was...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Ontario Superior Court of Justice Refuses to Apply Waksdale for Negotiated Employment Agreement

In Rahman v Cannon Design Architecture Inc., the Ontario Superior Court of Justice upheld termination provisions that appeared to be in violation of the minimum standards prescribed by the Employment Standards Act, 2000...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada Court Reminds Employers it is Important to Adhere to Their Contracts’ Termination Provisions

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In Perretta v. Rand A Technology Corporation, 2021 ONSC 2111, Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice ordered an employer to pay an employee damages for reasonable notice at common law when it decided the employer repudiated its...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada Court Finds Employee Repudiated Her Employment Contract When She Refused to Work Unless New Conditions Were Met

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In Anderson v Total Instant Lawns Ltd, 2021 ONSC 2933 (Total Instant Lawns), an employee claimed her job was terminated and sought damages for wrongful dismissal.  The employer denied the employee was dismissed and argued...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada Court Reminds Employers that Improperly Drafted Restrictive Covenants are Unenforceable

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In Labrador Recycling Inc. v. Folino, 2021 ONSC 2195 (Labrador Recycling), Ontario’s Superior Court denied an employer’s motion for an urgent injunction to restrain its former employee from competing with it contrary to the...more

Littler

New Brunswick, Canada: Appellate Court Finds in Favor of Employee in Wrongful Dismissal Action

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In Abrams v. RTO Asset Management, 2020 NBCA 57 (Abrams), the New Brunswick Court of Appeal considered an employee’s appeal of a decision dismissing his action for damages in lieu of reasonable notice upon his job termination...more

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