Invalid for cause termination provision voids entire termination clause
Employers across Ontario are double-checking their contracts since the Ontario Court of Appeal released its judgment in Waksdale v Swegon North America Inc., earlier this month. The court held that if an Employment Agreement contains a termination-with-cause provision that breaches the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), the termination-without-cause provision will be rendered unenforceable as well. This is true even if the employer was not relying on the for cause section and had proceeded on a without cause basis. Even a severability clause cannot save a provision in this context.
