2. Check the minimum notice periods
Question and answer
Can I be fired without any notice?Ontario's (ESA) has rules about the minimum amount of written notice employers usually need to give employees who are fired.
| If you have worked for: | You should get at least this much notice: |
|---|---|
| Less than 3 months | No minimum notice |
| 3 months or more but less than 1 year | 1 week |
| 1 year or more but less than 3 years | 2 weeks |
| 3 years or more but less than 4 years | 3 weeks |
| 4 years or more but less than 5 years | 4 weeks |
| 5 years or more but less than 6 years | 5 weeks |
| 6 years or more but less than 7 years | 6 weeks |
| 7 years or more but less than 8 years | 7 weeks |
| 8 years or more but less than 9 years | 8 weeks |
Mass termination
If an employer fires 50 or more workers within a period of 4 weeks, the minimum notice periods might be different. This is sometimes called “mass termination”.
The rules about mass termination are for situations like a large company going out of business or a factory shutting down.
With mass termination, the amount of notice you get does not depend on how long you worked for your employer. It depends on the number of workers being fired.
| Number of employees being fired: | Amount of notice: |
| 50 to 199 employees | 8 weeks |
| 200 to 499 employees | 12 weeks |
| 500 or more employees | 16 weeks |
To find out more about your right to notice if you're fired, use the Ontario Ministry of Labour's online Employment Standards Self-Service Tool.
Getting more than minimum notice
Many people who are fired or laid off have the right to more than the minimum notice that's in the ESA. Read more about this in I’ve been fired. How much notice should I get?