Canada Severance & Termination Pay Calculator
Choose your province (or the federal Canada Labour Code), enter your length of service and pay, and see your statutory minimum notice and severance plus a rough common-law reasonable-notice range. Free, instant, and calculated entirely in your browser; no email or phone number required.
Statutory minimum, Ontario
$12,000
12 weeks total · statutory minimum only
Notice (pay in lieu)
6 weeks
$6,000
Statutory severance
6 weeks
$6,000
Common-law reasonable notice (rough range)
4.5 to 7.5 monthsabout $19,500 to $32,500
For a non-unionized employee dismissed without cause, courts usually award far more than the statutory minimum, based on the Bardal factors (your age, length of service, the type of role, and how hard it is to find similar work). There is no formula, so this is a broad illustration, not a prediction. A valid termination clause in your contract can limit you to the statutory minimum, and awards rarely exceed roughly 24 months.
This tool estimates statutory minimums from each jurisdiction's employment-standards act (and the Canada Labour Code for federally regulated work), plus a rough common-law range. It is general information, not legal advice, and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm or a government body. Your actual entitlement depends on your contract, the reason for the dismissal, and your full circumstances; a court, tribunal, or your provincial employment-standards office makes the binding calculation.
How Severance Works in Canada
In Canada, what people call "severance" is usually two different things. The first is the statutory minimum set by your province's employment-standards act, or by the federal Canada Labour Code if you are federally regulated. This is a floor: a set number of weeks of notice (or pay in lieu) that rises with your length of service. Ontario is unusual in also having a separate statutory severance pay on top of notice, owed only to employees with five or more years of service whose employer meets a payroll test.
The second, and usually larger, amount is common-law reasonable notice. For a non-unionized employee dismissed without cause, the statutory minimum is only the starting point, and courts generally award much more unless a valid contract clause limits you to the minimum. The calculator shows both, because the gap between them is often where most of the money is.
Statutory Minimum vs Common Law
The statutory figures above are deterministic: they come straight from the notice schedule in your jurisdiction's legislation. The common-law range is different. It is estimated from the Bardal factors (your age, length of service, the character of the job, and how hard it is to find comparable work), which courts weigh case by case with no fixed formula. The range shown is a deliberately broad illustration, not a prediction of any individual's entitlement, and awards only rarely exceed roughly 24 months. Read the full reasonable notice guide for how the factors are applied, and the severance pay guide for how statutory and common-law entitlements interact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the amount I will actually receive?
No. The statutory figures are the legal minimum for the inputs you enter, and the common-law range is a broad illustration only. Your real entitlement depends on your contract, the reason for the dismissal, your age and role, and your full circumstances. A court, tribunal, or your provincial employment-standards office makes the binding calculation.
Which provinces have a separate statutory severance pay?
Ontario is the main province with a distinct statutory severance-pay entitlement on top of notice, and only for employees with five or more years of service whose employer meets a $2.5 million payroll or mass-termination test. Federally regulated employees also have a separate severance under the Canada Labour Code. The other provinces roll everything into notice or pay in lieu.
How do I know if I am federally regulated?
You are federally regulated, and covered by the Canada Labour Code rather than a provincial act, if your employer is a bank, an airline or airport, an interprovincial railway, an interprovincial trucking or bus line, a telecommunications or broadcasting company, Canada Post, a cross-border pipeline, or a federal Crown corporation, among a few others. Most other jobs are provincially regulated.
Why is the common-law amount so much higher than the statutory minimum?
The statutory minimum is a floor set by legislation. Common-law reasonable notice compensates a dismissed employee for the time it should reasonably take to find comparable work, which is usually far longer than the statutory weeks, especially for older, long-service employees in specialized roles. Unless a valid contract clause limits you to the minimum, you are generally entitled to the greater of the two.
Does this tool store or send my information anywhere?
No. All of the math runs in your browser. Nothing you type into this calculator is saved, transmitted, or used to contact you.
This calculator estimates statutory minimums from each jurisdiction's employment-standards act and the Canada Labour Code, plus a rough common-law range. It is general information, not legal advice, and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm or a government body. For advice on your situation, consult an employment lawyer licensed in your province.
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