Wrongful Dismissal
Let go without proper notice or cause? We assess your severance entitlements and negotiate the package you're actually owed.
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Waterloo employment lawyer.
Pelsmakher Law advises employees and employers in Waterloo on wrongful dismissal, severance package reviews, employment contracts, and workplace disputes.
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Employment Law in Waterloo
How we can help
Pelsmakher Law advises employees and employers in Waterloo regarding:
- Wrongful dismissal
- Severance package reviews
- Constructive dismissal
- Employment contract review and drafting
- Executive employment agreements
- Human rights and workplace harassment
- Disability accommodation
- Temporary layoffs
- Just cause dismissals
- Independent contractor disputes
- Bonus and commission disputes
- Workplace investigations
- Employer workplace policies
- Employment Standards Act compliance
A university and startup economy
Waterloo's economy is shaped by its universities and a dense cluster of technology startups and scale-ups, alongside established insurance and financial services employers. Startup employment agreements can be inconsistent in quality, sometimes drafted quickly with founders focused on the business rather than on making sure termination and equity provisions will hold up later.
Startup and early-stage employer disputes
Employees of Waterloo startups sometimes discover, only after they're let go, that their offer letter or contract has significant gaps: no enforceable termination clause, vague language about equity vesting, or no severance provision at all. In those cases, the employee is generally entitled to reasonable notice under the common law, which is often considerably more generous than what an early-stage employer expects to pay.
Why choose Pelsmakher Law?
Clients throughout Waterloo choose Pelsmakher Law because we provide focused employment law representation, responsive communication, strategic negotiation, and practical, transparent advice, with secure virtual consultations so you don't need to travel for experienced legal help. Learn more about the firm or read our employment law blog.
Also serving nearby areas: Kitchener, Cambridge, Guelph, London
Waterloo FAQs
Common questions from Waterloo clients.
Practical, Ontario-law guidance for employees and employers in Waterloo.
Without an enforceable written contract limiting your entitlements, you're generally owed reasonable notice under the common law, which is often more than the statutory minimum.
Yes. Severance negotiations are not limited to large companies; many smaller and startup employers in Waterloo are willing to negotiate once the legal position is clearly explained.
Yes. We help Waterloo businesses, including early-stage companies, put employment contracts and policies in place designed to reduce future disputes.
Consultation
Dealing with a workplace issue in Waterloo?
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