Blog
A Familiar Dispute with a Clear Message on Just Cause and Mitigation
The Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in Williamson v. Brandt Tractor Inc., 2026 ONCA 272, is a familiar wrongful dismissal dispute, but one that highlights issues employers and employees continue to face: the high threshold for just cause, what mitigation truly requires, and how courts treat post‑termination earnings.
The Side Effects of Moonlighting During Working Hours
With the increase in remote and hybrid work arrangements, employers are increasingly being faced with situations where employees have taken on “side hustles” or “side gigs.” In Dove v Destiny Media Technologies Inc., 2023 BCSC 1032, the Supreme Court of British Columbia found that an employer had “just cause” to terminate a full-time employee who worked on a side business during working hours.
Single Act of Sexual Misconduct Cause for Termination (But Not Willful Misconduct)
In the recent decision of Render v ThyssenKrupp Elevator (Canada) Limited, 2022 ONCA 310, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the decision to terminate a manager for cause for a single act of sexual misconduct.