The quick answer
Started April 3, 2023, let go November 5, 2026: that is 3 years and 7 months. Ontario requires 3 weeks of notice, or pay instead. At $1,100 a week that is $3,300.00.
Why no severance pay?
ESA severance pay starts only after five years of employment. Until then, your legal minimum is notice or termination pay, which rises by one week for each full year from 3 years onward.
Termination pay at $1,100 a week
| Length of employment | Weeks | Termination pay |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months – under 1 year | 1 | $1,100 |
| 1 – under 3 years | 2 | $2,200 |
| 3 years | 3 | $3,300 |
| 4 years | 4 | $4,400 |
| 5 years (+ severance if eligible) | 5 | $5,500 |
| 8 years or more | 8 | $8,800 |
Note how it counts: the 3-week level applies from your 3rd anniversary until the day before your 4th. Extra months do not add partial weeks of notice (they do count for severance).
Working notice instead of pay
Your employer can tell you in writing that your job ends in 3 weeks and keep you working until then. In that case they owe no termination pay — you are paid normally for those weeks. Enter the weeks you worked in the calculator and the pay goes down.
Also owed to you
- All wages up to your last day and vacation pay (at least 4% of earnings, 6% after 5 years) not yet taken.
- Continuation of benefits during the notice period.
- A Record of Employment within 5 days so you can apply for EI.
Probation clauses can cut notice during the first 3 months only. After that, the ESA minimums apply to everyone, full-time or part-time.
Quick reference: your rights when you are let go in Ontario
- Notice or pay: 1 week after 3 months, 2 weeks after 1 year, then 1 week per year up to 8.
- Severance pay: 1 week per year (with partial years) up to 26, after 5 years at an employer with a $2.5M+ payroll.
- Vacation pay owing must be paid out; benefits continue during the statutory notice period.
- Record of Employment within 5 calendar days of the interruption of earnings.
- Deadline to complain: a claim with the Ministry of Labour must generally be filed within two years.
When the ESA does not apply
Federally regulated workplaces (banks, airlines, telecoms, interprovincial transport) follow the Canada Labour Code instead, with different notice and severance rules. Some workers are excluded from parts of the ESA, for example certain construction employees and people on temporary layoff that has not yet become a termination.
Before you sign
A severance offer usually comes with a release. Signing it normally ends your right to claim more. Take the time you are given, compare the offer with the ESA minimum on this page and, if the gap to common-law notice could be large, consider a short consultation with an employment lawyer. Many work on contingency for wrongful dismissal claims.
Rules checked on 5 November 2026 against the Employment Standards Act, 2000.
FAQ
How much termination pay after 3 years in Ontario?
3 weeks of regular wages. At $1,100 a week: $3,300.00.
Do I get severance after 3 years?
Not under the ESA: severance pay needs 5 years of employment and a large employer.
Does part-time work count?
Yes. Notice depends on length of employment, not hours. Your weekly pay is your regular part-time wages.
Sources (checked 5 November 2026): Employment Standards Act, 2000 (Ontario), ss. 54–57 (notice of termination: 1 to 8 weeks) and ss. 63–66 (severance pay: 5 years, $2.5 million payroll, 1 week per year to 26 weeks); Ontario Ministry of Labour “Your guide to the Employment Standards Act”; Employment Hero, “Ontario severance pay guide: 2026 rules”; CRA T4001 Employers’ Guide (lump-sum withholding 10% / 20% / 30% outside Quebec).