Three weeks ago in this space, I argued that working notice — telling an employee their job will end after a defined period — is the most underused tool in Canadian employment law.
Employers wrote me by the dozens to say it was a revelation. Some were astonished they had never considered it. Others said they had, but admitted they lacked the courage to try it.
Working notice is not only legally sound; it is (counterintuitively) more humane than firing. It spares employees the humiliation of the sudden escort out the door and gives them time to plan their next step. Employers save money, avoid the “severance lottery” culture (more on this below) and sometimes even get a redemption story along the way.
The classic firing ends with a banker’s box and the dreaded “walk of shame.” Working notice eliminates that. The employee keeps their salary, benefits and stature while quietly preparing their next move. They leave on their own feet, not under guard. Dignity is a valuable thing.
We all know employees who say, “I hate this job but I’m hanging on until they fire me so I can get my package.”
That mindset corrodes morale. When companies establish a reputation for working notice, that culture dies overnight. No one lingers hoping for a severance jackpot because they know it isn’t coming.
The biggest mistake managers make is waiting until the employee’s frustration boils over. By then, the employer is panicked: “We can’t keep them another day.”
But in most cases, the performance...
When examiners don’t get veterans’ records, bad decisions aren’t a mistake—they’re a systemic failure. In a blistering oversight hearing this week, members of Congress openly questioned whether th...