Severance Package Review
Before you sign, let our employment lawyers evaluate whether your severance offer reflects your full common law entitlement under the Bardal factors.
Book My 15-Minute Assessment →Before you sign, let our employment lawyers evaluate whether your severance offer reflects your full common law entitlement under the Bardal factors.
Book My 15-Minute Assessment →Do not sign a severance package without independent legal review. Most initial offers fall well short of common law entitlements.
There is no statutory deadline, but employers commonly impose internal timelines of days or weeks. Courts have held that unreasonably short deadlines can undermine the voluntariness of a release. You should seek legal advice promptly but should not feel pressured into signing without adequate time for review.
Tell us briefly what is going on. A lawyer reviews every enquiry and replies within 24 hours on business days.
A lawyer replies within 24 hours on business days. Urgent? Call +1 416 333 6200, answered 24/7. Submitting this form does not create a solicitor-client relationship.
When an employer terminates your employment without cause, you are entitled to reasonable notice of termination or pay in lieu. The Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) sets only the statutory minimum, typically one week per year of service up to eight weeks, plus severance pay for employees with five or more years at qualifying employers. However, your common law entitlement is almost always significantly higher.
The common law framework, anchored by the Bardal v. Globe & Mail Co. (1960) factors, considers your age, length of service, character of employment, and the availability of comparable re-employment. Courts have awarded notice periods of up to 26 months in exceptional circumstances, far exceeding the ESA ceiling of eight weeks’ termination pay.
At Lexaltico LLP, our Toronto severance review lawyers analyze every component of your termination package, base salary continuation, bonus entitlements, benefits, stock options, pension implications, and restrictive covenant obligations, to determine whether the offer reflects your true legal entitlement.
Since Bardal v. Globe & Mail Co., Ontario courts have consistently applied a multi-factor analysis to determine reasonable notice periods. The four primary Bardal factors are: (1) the character of the employmentsenior executives and professionals typically receive longer notice; (2) the length of servicelonger tenure generally corresponds to greater entitlement; (3) the age of the employeeolder employees face greater difficulty finding comparable work; and (4) the availability of similar employment having regard to the employee’s qualifications and experience.
In Honda Canada Inc. v. Keays, 2008 SCC 39, the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed that damages for the manner of dismissal are not automatically available but may be awarded where the employer’s conduct during termination causes independently actionable harm. This decision refined how courts assess bad faith damages in the severance context, making the distinction between ordinary terminations and those involving egregious employer conduct.
Our lawyers assess each factor against current case law benchmarks, including decisions from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Appeal, to provide you with an evidence-based range of your likely entitlement before entering negotiations.
Effective severance negotiation requires more than knowing the legal range of reasonable notice. Our team examines every element of your compensation: salary continuation versus lump sum payments, short-term and long-term bonus entitlements under Paquette v. TeraGo Networks Inc., 2016 ONCA 618, continuation of health and dental benefits, pension bridging, outplacement services, and the enforceability of any restrictive covenants your employer is attempting to impose as a condition of the package.
We also advise on the duty to mitigateyour obligation to seek comparable employment during the notice period, and how mitigation interacts with lump sum versus salary continuation structures. Following Brake v. PJ-M2R Restaurant Inc., 2017 ONCA 402, employers bear the onus of proving a failure to mitigate, and deductions are only justified where the employer can demonstrate the employee failed to make reasonable efforts.
Whether your situation calls for a counter-proposal, mediation, or litigation, our employment lawyers pursue the strategy that delivers the strongest outcome while minimizing unnecessary delay and cost.
Our lawyers offer a 15-minute initial assessment for most matters. Call, email, or book online. Do not sign anything before speaking with us.
55 University Ave, Suite 1100
Toronto, ON M5J 2H7
2 Sheppard Ave East, Suite 303, Toronto, ON M2N 5Y7
Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Evenings & weekends by appointment
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