Just cause, or ‘just cause for summary dismissal’ as it’s formally known, is like the capital punishment of employment law. If your employer feels that you have done something seriously wrong, or behaved in a way that was so out of line with their standards, then they may have tried to send you out the door without an exit package.
What employers often don’t realize, though, is that the legal standard for cause is very different than what they think constitutes cause. Courts do not take kindly to an unwarranted allegation of just cause, and employers can actually be penalized for acting in bad faith in how they ended your employment. Also, there is strong case law that says unless an employee’s conduct was truly unimaginable, they should at least be entitled to their minimum amounts under employment standards legislation.
When we work with a client who has been terminated for cause, we work closely with them to determine if the employer actually had just cause to terminate (hint: they usually didn’t). We will then incorporate this into our strategy to help you determine the appropriate next steps. Learn more about just cause here.
