How do Ontario courts calculate how much notice I'm owed if I'm fired without cause?

Ontario courts calculate common law reasonable notice by weighing a set of factors together, rather than applying a fixed formula tied to years of service. The key factors are the employee's age, their length of service, the character and seniority of the position they held, and how available comparable employment is likely to be given their skills and the relevant labour market. Older employees, longer-service employees, and those in specialized or senior roles with fewer comparable openings generally receive longer notice periods than younger, shorter-service employees in more easily replaced roles.

This common law entitlement is separate from, and often significantly exceeds, the Employment Standards Act's statutory minimum notice, unless a valid, properly drafted written contract limits the employee to that statutory minimum instead. Because the calculation genuinely depends on how these factors combine in each individual's specific circumstances, and courts do not apply a rigid per-year formula, the actual figure in any given case varies considerably from one employee to the next. This is why getting an assessment of a specific situation is far more useful than relying on a general rule of thumb about months per year of service.