Is not being happy sufficient grounds to fire someone?

In Ontario, an employee can be dismissed for any reason, provided that it is not discriminatory. If an employer fires one of its employees on a "without cause" basis, they don't have to have any reason at all. An employer does, however, have to pay the employee his or her proper severance. To find out how much severance may be owed in this situation, please use our Ontario Free Severance Calculator (http://www.severancepaycalculator.com/).

The only way that severance would not be owed is if the employee has engaged in behaviour that is sufficient for "cause." An employee not being happy, or an employer not being happy with their work, is almost never going to amount to cause. The threshold to establish cause is extremely high.

If you would like to discuss any of this in more detail, please contact us at the number below for a consultation.