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Bitrix24 Severance package review · Ontario ESA calculator · counter letter
Severance package review, Ontario — the ESA minimum, your offer and what to ask for
Short answer. Put in your weekly pay, years of service and the offer in weeks: you see the Employment Standards Act minimum and the gap. Notice / termination pay: From 3 months of service: 1 week under 1 year, 2 weeks for 1–3 years, then 1 week per completed year up to 8 (ESA guide: Termination of employment).
- ESA termination pay and severance pay due (7 days after, or the next regular pay day if later): type the date
Check your own case.
Ontario ESA: termination and severance pay are due 7 days after the employment ends or on the next regular pay day, whichever is later.
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Severance package review · Ontario
Is the offer at least the ESA minimum — and what to ask for
Your weekly pay, years of service and the offer in weeks. You see the Employment Standards Act minimum (notice + severance pay), the gap and a counter-proposal letter.
Want a reminder on the day the ESA pay is due?
The calendar file works without an account. The reminder needs a free account to know where to send it.- Check the offer against the ESA minimum in the table — the minimum is owed even without a release.
- Before you sign a release, know that a court can award more than the ESA minimum (common law notice): ask an employment lawyer.
- Send the counter-proposal letter with your numbers; keep everything in writing.
Ontario Employment Standards Act (ontario.ca, Your guide to the ESA: Termination of employment, updated 23 July 2026; Severance pay, updated 18 March 2026): notice or termination pay from 3 months of service — 1 week under 1 year, 2 weeks for 1–3 years, then 1 week per completed year up to 8; severance pay with 5+ years and a global payroll of $2.5 million or more (or 50+ employees severed in 6 months in a closure) — regular weekly wages × (completed years + completed months ÷ 12), at most 26 weeks; both are due 7 days after the employment ends or on the next regular pay day, whichever is later. Common law notice can be higher — no figure here. This is a calculation and a checklist, not legal advice.
Lida, Layers template assistant
Give me your weekly pay and your years — I will show the ESA minimum in weeks and dollars.
If the offer is below the minimum, the minimum is still owed. Write it down before you sign anything.
An illustrated character, not a lawyer.
Deadlines
The rules, with the source
| What | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Notice / termination pay | From 3 months of service: 1 week under 1 year, 2 weeks for 1–3 years, then 1 week per completed year up to 8 | ESA guide: Termination of employment |
| Benefits during notice | The employer keeps paying benefit plan contributions | ESA guide: Termination of employment |
| Severance pay | 5+ years and a global payroll of $2.5M or more (or 50+ people severed in 6 months in a closure): weekly wages × (years + months ÷ 12), up to 26 weeks | ESA guide: Severance pay |
| When paid | 7 days after the end, or the next regular pay day, whichever is later | ESA guide |
These are ESA minimums. A court can award more under common law (reasonable notice) — this page gives no figure for that; ask an employment lawyer before you sign a release.
Step by step
What to do, in order
1
Check the minimum
The calculator shows ESA notice + severance for your years.
2
Compare the offer
Below the minimum is owed by law even without a release.
3
Read the release
The checklist below: what you give up, non-compete, references, benefits.
4
Ask a lawyer
Common law notice can be higher than the ESA minimum.
5
Send the counter-proposal
One page, with your numbers — the letter is below.
6
Watch the pay date
7 days after the last day, or the next pay day.
Questions
How much severance pay am I entitled to in Ontario?
Under the ESA: with 5+ years and an employer with a global payroll of $2.5 million or more, one week of regular wages per year of service (plus months ÷ 12), up to 26 weeks — on top of termination pay.
Is termination pay the same as severance pay?
No. Termination pay replaces notice (1–8 weeks by length of service); severance pay is a separate amount for long service.
Can I get more than the ESA minimum?
Possibly — common law notice can be higher. That depends on your case; ask an employment lawyer before signing a release.
Official sources
Other documents
Keep the papers in one place
Letters, receipts and notices in one folder you can share with family or a lawyer. The templates and the editor are free; Layers is free for up to 20 people.
This is an ESA minimum calculation, a checklist and a letter template, not legal advice. Common law entitlements can be higher — ask an employment lawyer.