Hi,

In the negotiation process for my new role in Toronto we have come up against the question of severance pay in my contract. In the UK I have three months notice plus one week for each year of service tax free if I am made redundant or severed without cause. As I understand it this is a bigger risk in Canada so trying to negotiate something better but I am told this is a large figure compared to the normal in Canada. Can anyone advise?

Thanks

Julie

In Ontario, in a permanent job, it's usual to have two weeks notice and payment for the two weeks whether worked or not. When terminating someone who holds a contract position it's customary to pay the person for the remainder of the day of termination but I don't think that's a legal requirement. Anything can be negotiated but, generally, employees have little in the way of rights here.

I think reality is a somewhere between the two.

Both times its happened to me I got the legal min of two weeks, but also severance of 2 or 3 months pay....coincidentally having worked for about three years for them in both cases....