Employment standards topic
Termination and Severance Pay in Canada
Notice, pay in lieu and statutory severance are governed by the applicable jurisdiction. Ontario treats termination and severance as separate entitlements with different eligibility tests and formulas.
Ontario ending-employment resources
Start with the comparison guide. It separates notice or termination pay from ESA severance before you choose an estimator.
Termination Pay vs Severance Pay
Compare the eligibility gates, service tests, formulas, caps and calculator limitations for Ontario ESA minimums.
Read comparison guide →Ontario Termination Pay Calculator
Estimate selected individual notice or pay-in-lieu minimums for a supported employer-initiated termination.
Open termination calculator →Ontario ESA Severance Pay Calculator
Estimate selected statutory severance minimums after confirming the five-year and employer eligibility tests.
Open severance calculator →Keep the two ESA minimums separate
Termination notice or pay
Generally applies after three months of continuous employment when the employer does not provide all required written notice.
ESA severance pay
Requires five or more years of employment plus a qualifying global-payroll or permanent-closure condition.
Contract or common law
Rights can exceed ESA minimums and are outside the scope of both WageWise estimators.
Jurisdiction coverage
Ontario
Comparison guide and two calculators cover selected individual-termination ESA rules.
Browse Ontario tools →British Columbia
Its length-of-service notice rules require a separate guide and calculation engine.
Other jurisdictions
Ontario thresholds and formulas must not be applied as Canada-wide rules.
Important: Mass termination, temporary layoff, constructive dismissal, fixed-term work, alleged wilful misconduct, union agreements and common-law notice require separate review. These tools provide educational estimates, not legal advice.