Think about your options
Question & Answer
I’ve been fired. Does my employer have to give me a reason?What options you have depends on why you were fired.
Make a claim to the Ministry of Labour
You can make a claim if you were fired because of something that the (ESA) says you had a right to do.
You can also make a claim for termination pay.
Make a complaint to the Ontario Labour Relations Board
You can make a complaint if you were fired for claiming your right to health and safety at work.
Make a claim at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
You can make a claim if you were fired for a reason that goes against your human rights.
What you can get
The Ministry of Labour, Ontario Labour Relations Board, or Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario could decide that your employer broke the law.
If this happens, they can order your employer to give you your job back and pay you for:
- harm done to you because your employer did not respect your rights
- costs you had because of what your employer did
But they rarely order an employer to give you back your job.
Costs can include money for:
- you would have earned if you had not been fired
- expenses you had because you were looking for a job
Going to court
Sometimes the reason your employer fired you does not go against a law. But you can still ask for money because you were fired.
Many people can go to court to get this money. It's usually much more than the you can get by going to the Ministry of Labour.
