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Ontario severance pay calculator
Find out what you may be owed after a termination without cause. It takes about a minute, and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
This calculator gives a general estimate only and is not legal advice. ESA amounts follow Ontario's Employment Standards Act, 2000 (termination pay of up to 8 weeks; severance pay of 1 week per year of service, up to 26 weeks, for employees with 5+ years of service where the employer's payroll is $2.5 million or more). Common-law estimates are based on the Bardal factors (age, length of service, character of employment and availability of similar work) and are capped at 24 months. Your actual entitlement depends on your contract and circumstances. Using this tool does not create a lawyer-client relationship.
How severance works in Ontario
When you're terminated without cause, you're entitled to two things: the minimum set by the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), and, unless a valid contract clause limits you, reasonable notice at common law.
ESA termination pay
One week of pay per year of service, up to 8 weeks, once you've worked at least three months.
ESA severance pay
If you've worked for at least five years and your employer's payroll is $2.5 million or more, you're also owed one week of pay per year of service, including partial years, up to 26 weeks.
Common-law notice
Courts look at the Bardal factors: your age, length of service, the character of your job, and how easy it will be to find similar work. Awards are often several times the ESA minimum and can reach 24 months. Short-service employees can be owed more than you'd expect.