Ontario ESA termination pay of 1 to 8 weeks and severance of 1 week a year up to 26 weeks
Estimates only, not financial advice. What you type stays on your device. Checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026.Ontario's Employment Standards Act gives 1 to 8 weeks of notice or termination pay after 3 months, plus vacation pay on it, and severance of 1 week a year to 26 weeks from 5 years if the payroll is $2.5 million. 9 years and 9 months at $1,000 a week, with no notice, is $18,400.
2026 · Rates and rules read from the sources listed on this page (the earliest on 16 Oct 2026); they may have changed since.
Type the date you started and the date your job ends.
Type your regular wages for a regular work week, without overtime.
Type the weeks of written notice you were given, 0 if none.
Read the termination pay with its vacation pay, the severance pay and the total.
When an employer in Ontario ends someone's employment, the Employment Standards Act, 2000 sets two separate minimum payments. This calculator works out both, following the Ontario government's guide to the ESA and its worked examples.
Notice and termination pay. After 3 months of continuous employment you are owed written notice: 1 week under 1 year, 2 weeks from 1 to under 3 years, then 1 week for each year up to 8 weeks for 8 years or more. Whatever notice is not given is paid as termination pay, at your regular wages for a regular work week. You also earn vacation pay on termination pay: Sarah's 3 weeks at $800 come to $2,400 plus $96.
Severance pay. If you have 5 or more years of employment and the employer's global payroll is at least $2.5 million, you are also owed severance pay: your regular weekly wages times completed years plus completed months divided by 12, at most 26 weeks. Weeks of notice, worked or paid in lieu, count towards the years and months. Susan's 7 years and 9 months at $1,000 a week is $7,750.
Mass terminations. When 50 or more employees are terminated at one establishment within 4 weeks, notice depends on the number: 8 weeks for 50 to 199, 12 for 200 to 499 and 16 for 500 or more. Choose it under More options.
Counting the service. Months are counted on the calendar from your start date. The ministry rounds months divided by 12 to 2 decimals, as this page does. Its Alex example treats 8 weeks in lieu as 2 months; on the calendar 8 weeks is usually 1 complete month.
Not included. Exemptions such as wilful misconduct, construction work or refusing reasonable alternative work; lay-offs; averaging irregular wages; benefit continuation; and common-law notice, which is often much longer. An estimate, not legal advice.
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Under the Employment Standards Act you get the weeks of notice you were not given, at your regular weekly wages, plus vacation pay on that amount. Notice is 1 week under 1 year, 2 weeks from 1 to 3 years, then 1 week a year up to 8 weeks after 8 years.
An employee with 5 or more years of employment, counting all time with the employer, whose employer has a global payroll of at least $2.5 million or severed 50 or more employees in 6 months because all or part of the business closed permanently. Misconduct, construction work and a refused reasonable job offer are exemptions.
Severance pay is your regular weekly wages times the completed years of employment plus completed months divided by 12, up to 26 weeks. Ontario's example: 7 years and 9 months at $1,000 a week is 7.75 weeks, or $7,750. Weeks of notice, worked or paid in lieu, count towards the service.
No. Termination pay replaces the written notice you were not given, at most 8 weeks outside a mass termination. Severance pay compensates a long-serving employee for losing the job, at most 26 weeks. Someone with 9 years and a large employer can be owed both: up to 8 weeks plus up to 26 weeks.
Yes. Ontario's guide says an employee earns vacation pay on termination pay, at least 4% under 5 years of employment and 6% from 5 years. Three weeks at $800 is $2,400 of termination pay plus $96 of vacation pay, $2,496 in all. Severance pay does not earn vacation pay.
Not always. The Employment Standards Act sets minimums. Under common law, a court can award reasonable notice for wrongful dismissal that is often much longer, depending on age, role and service. You must choose between an ESA claim and a court action for the same dismissal, so legal advice helps.
Rates and rules change; check the source before you rely on a figure.
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Same job, other tools: Canada Labour Code Pay in Lieu of Notice Calculator – Federal pay in lieu of notice: 2 weeks after 3 months, rising to 8 weeks after 8 years · Canada Labour Code Vacation Pay Calculator – Canada Labour Code vacation pay: 8% and 4 weeks after 10 years with one employer · Ontario Income Tax Calculator – Ontario take-home pay for 2026 with the surtax, health premium, CPP and EI counted · EI Calculator: How Much EI Will I Get? – Your weekly Employment Insurance and the number of weeks, from your hours and region · Alberta Income Tax Calculator – Alberta take-home pay for 2026 with the 8% bracket and the $22,769 personal amount.
On the related tools: CPP2 Calculator 2026 (Second Additional CPP) – CPP2 for 2026: 4% of earnings between $74,600 and $85,000, at most $416, pay by pay.
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