What Do I do if I Suffer a Wrongful Termination?
When an employee feels they are facing a wrongful termination, it is often a painful, disappointing and confusing experience. However, it is all the more important to quickly contact an experienced employment lawyer at Bune Law, Toronto employment law firm, for a consultation to understand their rights and have all of their questions answered to pursue their legal options.
- employment contract
- wrongful termination (you were dismissed or terminated from your employment)
- severance package review and negotiation
- human rights discrimination
- you are facing significant changes to your job, such as a demotion, temporary layoff, removal of job responsibilities or pay cut
- workplace harassment
What is an Employee’s Wrongful Termination?
A common misconception is that the term “wrongful termination” can be used to refer to any situation where an employee feels an employer’s decision to terminate their job is unfair or unjustified. However, from a legal perspective, a wrongful termination refers to an employer:
- firing an employee by improperly just cause just to avoid in an effort to avoid giving them prior notice of termination (or a financial severance package)
- firing an employee but not providing them with adequate prior notice of termination (or an appropriate financial severance package)
In other words, it is generally only lawful for an employer to fire an employee with just cause if it has a valid reason, such as serious misconduct, in order to avoid its obligation to give the employee prior reasonable notice of termination, or a financial severance package. Apart from that, an employer can terminate an employee “without cause” (e.g., performance reasons or downsizing) by providing them with prior reasonable notice of termination, or a financial severance package.
The experienced lawyer at Bune Law, Employment Law Firm in Toronto, can determine whether or not your job termination was unlawful, and will develop a strategy to fight for you vigorously. Our employment lawyer’s goals will depend on your specific needs, such as whether you wish to obtain appropriate compensation (severance package) for your severance pay and mental suffering.
Breaches of Good Faith and Fair Dealing
While an employer is permitted by Ontario employment law to terminate an employee’s job, they have to handle the termination process in a fair, respectful and sensitive manner. Unfortunately, some employers fail to honour their obligations to employees. For instance, employers sometimes:
- terminate an employee’s job “just cause” (misconduct) simply to avoid having to provide the employee with a financial severance package (when there is no reason to do so)
- provides an employee an ultimatum to accept a significant change to their job (e.g., demotion), or unpleasant working conditions, in an effort pressure the employee to quit and give up their right to a severance package
- purposely time the wrongful termination to prevent an employee from receiving a deserved bonus or a sales commission
- they fire an employee to avoid having to accommodate their disability or family caregiving obligations
- to fill your position with someone who is younger
What Happens When We Win Your Case
With the help of our experienced employment lawyer at Bune Law, Employment Law Firm in Toronto, winning your wrongful termination case or obtaining a favourable settlement in a severance package negotiation can be extremely empowering and rewarding to you (and your family). When are successful in resolving a wrongful termination case, you may be entitled to some or all of the following types of compensation:
- Future lost wages if you have been unable to find employment by the time of the trial (sometimes called a “severance package’)
- Lost benefits, such as health insurance, pension plan participation, commission, bonus pay, or stock options
- Emotional distress
- Legal fees
- career transition services
If your employer’s behaviour has been extremely unfair, we may also be able to obtain additional compensation in the form of bad faith or punitive damages, which are designed both to compensate employees for an employer’s particularly egregious conduct in how they handle a wrongful termination.
If an employee has entered into an employment contract, there may requirements on how an employer can legally terminate an employee’s job. For instance, some employment contracts have a termination clause that state an employee can only be fired for “just cause,” meaning the employee has engaged in very improper conduct (e.g., theft or dishonesty). Otherwise, if an employee is fired without cause and believes it was a violation of their employment contract, it is crucial for the employee to have an experienced employment attorney review the employment contract or severance package to advise on anything that may limit the employer’s right to fire the employee in the absence of just cause termination.
For additional information related to wrongful termination of employment in Toronto, please contact an experienced employment law lawyer at Bune Law, Employment Law Firm in Toronto.
Contact Our Ontario Wrongful Dismissal Lawyer
If you were pressured to resign and believe you suffered a wrongful termination, call Bune Law, Employment Law Firm in Toronto, to benefit from having strength in your corner. In helping you respond to a job termination, our employment lawyer will fight fervently for your legal rights. We may be able to obtain money in a severance package to compensate you for wrongful termination, including lost wages and benefits, as well as additional compensation for emotional distress. Our employment lawyer is effective, efficient and caring, and committed to obtaining what you deserve and restoring your self-confidence. Contact us today to schedule a employment lawyer consultation.
Call Now For an Initial Consultation
It is very important for both employees and employers to speak with an employment lawyer through a legal consultation before taking any action that may affect their workplace situation. At Bune Law, Toronto employment law firm, you will benefit from an experienced Toronto employment lawyer’s expertise in all areas of workplace law, including wrongful termination, severance package reviews and discrimination.
If you are looking for a wrongful dismissal lawyer in Toronto, call Bune Law, Toronto employment lawyer, today at 647-822-5492 for a case evaluation with an experienced employment lawyer.
Disclaimer: The content on this website and blog is not legal advice or legal opinion of any kind, and is only to provide general information. It is in no way particular to your individual case and should not be relied upon in any way. The outcome of a legal matter depends on its unique circumstances, and prior successes are not indicative of future results. No portion or use of this website or blog will establish a lawyer-client relationship with the author, this law firm or any related party. Should you require legal advice for your particular situation, please fill out the form below, or call 647-822-5492, to request an initial consultation.
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