What does being fired for “Cause” mean?

At common law, the general wrongful dismissal principle is that an employee is entitled to reasonable notice of termination of his or her contract with the employer, or payment in lieu of notice.  The exception to the rule occurs when “just cause” exists;  the employer is then entitled to dismiss the employee summarily, without any … Read more

Have You Been Terminated?

When Arnold Schwarznegger took over Donald Trump’s role on ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’, albeit short-lived, he replaced the Donald’s favourite phrase – “You’re fired” – with “You are terminated”.  Although this was an obviously appropriate catchphrase for Arnold to assume, it also happens to be legally correct.  The likelihood of a boss telling you that you … Read more

Is Getting Laid Off Like Being Fired?

No. But most people use the terms interchangeably, without knowing the difference, and that includes employers. In fact, to allegedly soften the blow, some employers even tell their employees that they are being laid off, perhaps thinking that this phrase is less harsh than hearing, as Trump used to say: “you’re fired”. Under Ontario law, … Read more