While unionized employees in Canada and the United States share similar protections against unjust dismissal, there are noticeable differences between the two countries with respect to nonunion employees. In three Canadian jurisdictions, nonunion employees who are wrongfully dismissed may be able to seek statutory remedies including reinstatement. As well, employees may be able to proceed with a court action based on the common law of wrongful dismissal. This article provides a summary of the avenues available to the nonunion employee with particular attention to wrongful-dismissal law principles. More specifically, major features of the law of wrongful dismissal are discussed, including what constitutes just cause for termination, factors used in the calculation of reasonable notice, and remedies available to an employee in a wrongful-dismissal action. Reference is made to both legal analyses and empirical studies. In addition, some of the limitations of the law are noted.
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5. For a summary of the various requirements, see the Canadian Master Labour Guide (Don Mills, Ontario: Commerce Clearing House, 1993).
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9. For a more complete discussion of constructive dismissal, see Levitt, Law of Dismissal in Canada, pp. 81-120.
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13. Michaud v. Mussenden (1987), 5 A.C.W.S. (3d) 25 (B.C.S.C.). See also Lavallee v. Prairie Equipment Ltd. (1988), 53 Man.R. (2d) 154 (Man.Q.B.).
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20. See, for example, O'Neill v. Environs Landscape Contracting Co. (1987), 4 A.C.W.S. (3d) 61 (Ont.Dist.Ct.); Iacono v. Mitchell (1985), 34 A.C.W.S. (2d) 63 (H.C.J.).
21.
21. James D. Grant and Terry H. Wagar, “Employee Misconduct: An Examination of the Factors Used by Canadian Courts in Determining an Employer's Right to Dismiss for Cause” (Paper delivered at the annual meeting of the International Association for Conflict Management, Den Dolder, The Netherlands, June 1991).
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27. Levitt, Law of Dismissal in Canada, p. 335.
28.
28. For a more complete discussion of damages in wrongful-dismissal cases, see ibid., pp. 335-93.
29.
29. [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1085 (S.C.C.).
30.
30. The culminating incident doctrine permits an employer to dismiss an employee, who has accumulated a documented record of warnings and suspensions, for a final incident that on its own would not necessarily justify termination. The culminating incident has been described as “the straw that broke the camel's back.”
31.
31. The definition of “managerial employees” has been subject to considerable litigation. For a review of the principles, see Levitt, Law of Dismissal in Canada, pp. 51-53.
32.
32. Canada Labour Code, ss. 242(4).
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35. For a review of the Quebec experience with reinstatement, see Gilles Trudeau, “Is Reinstatement a Remedy Suitable to At-Will Employees?”Industrial Relations, 30(2):302 (Spring 1991).
