{"id":46653,"date":"2012-04-10T18:44:59","date_gmt":"2012-04-10T22:44:59","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-05-01T16:16:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T20:16:32","slug":"i-have-been-fired-how-much-notice-should-i-get","status":"publish","type":"publications-page","link":"https:\/\/www.cleo.on.ca\/en\/publications-page\/i-have-been-fired-how-much-notice-should-i-get","title":{"rendered":"What are my rights if I’m fired?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your employer does not have to tell you why you’re being fired or laid off permanently. But in most cases, your employer must give you notice in writing.<\/p>\n

There are 2 ways that an employer can give you notice:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Your employer can tell you that they will be letting you go on a day in the future. You’re expected to work until that day. This is called “working notice”.<\/li>\n
  2. Or your employer can let you go right away<\/strong>. But they must pay you the money you would have earned if they had given you working notice. This money is called “termination pay” or “pay in lieu of notice”.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    ESA notice periods<\/h2>\n

    The ESA has rules about the minimum or least amount of notice employers must give.<\/p>\n

    If your employer ends your employment less than 3 months after you started working, they usually do not have to give you any notice.<\/p>\n

    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    If you worked for:<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\nYou should get
    \nat least:<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    3 months or more but less than 1 year<\/span><\/td>\n1 week<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    1 year or more but less than 3 years<\/span><\/td>\n2 weeks<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    3 years or more but less than 4 years<\/span><\/td>\n3 weeks<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    4 years or more but less than 5 years<\/span><\/td>\n4 weeks<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    5 years or more but less than 6 years<\/span><\/td>\n5 weeks<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    6 years or more but less than 7 years<\/span><\/td>\n6 weeks<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    7 years or more but less than 8 years<\/span><\/td>\n7 weeks<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    8 years or more but less than 9 years<\/span><\/td>\n8 weeks<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

    The Ministry of Labour can enforce only these minimum notice periods. If you want more than this, you must sue your employer in court.<\/p>\n

    If an employer fires 50 or more workers within 4 weeks, the minimum notice periods might be different. If this applies to you, get legal advice.<\/p>\n

    Getting more than minimum notice<\/h2>\n

    The ESA’s rules are about the minimum notice employers must give. But in some cases, you could get more than the minimum.<\/p>\n

    To get more than minimum notice, you must take your employer to court. What you can get depends on your situation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Here are some examples of why you might get more notice:<\/p>\n