Tribunal cites need for something in writing to avoid 'uncertainty in the minds of employees'
A salon company figured a friendly heads-up about closing shop was good enough. A tribunal disagreed, tossing out its appeal and confirming that only clear, written notice will do when a job is ending.
In a decision issued Aug. 19, 2026, Employment Standards Tribunal member Ryan Goldvine dismissed an appeal from The Mega Hair Group Inc., upholding an earlier ruling that the company hadn't given a worker proper written notice before shutting down one of its locations, and confirming she is still owed compensation for her lost job.
The story starts in November 2023, when the company let staff at one location know it was shutting down. The doors closed two months later, in January 2024. One employee filed a complaint with the province's Employment Standards Branch, saying she never got the proper written notice, or pay instead of it, that the law requires when a job ends.
A government investigator looked into her complaint and wrote up a report. A separate official then reviewed that report, along with the company's side of the story, and agreed the company hadn't given proper written notice, or paid her enough to cover the shortfall, under B.C.'s employment standards law.
The company appealed, saying the investigation itself hadn't been fair. It argued that the investigator was biased, had already made up her mind before finishing her report, and had...
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