Employees who have been fired will often ask us whether their employer is legally allowed to fire them. Isn't it illegal, and shouldn't they have to pay us every loss we suffer because of our termination? This article looks at non-unionized employees who have indefinite contracts of employment; it does not consider issues of Human Rights Discrimination.
Employers have the right to fire employees but....
The law in Alberta recognizes the right of employers to make decisions with regards to its workforce, which includes firings. Employees are also free to leave employment (sometimes with contractual restrictions) because employment is not indentured servitude. Employers who do fire employees can face the implied term in the contract of employment that the employer will provide reasonable notice of termination. For more on how these are calculated please see our article: https://www.flodenward.com/post/how-is-severance-calculated-in-alberta.
If you have been fired and wish to get legal advice, please feel free to contact us.
The information contained in this article is not legal advice. No solicitor client relationship is formed through this article. The reader is encouraged to retain counsel for advice in these matters.
