Employment Contract Lawyer Ontario

If you’ve been asked to sign an employment contract in Ontario, what’s written in that document can directly affect your job security, severance pay, and legal rights — often more than people realize.

Many employment contracts include clauses that limit what you’re entitled to if you’re let go, restrict future job opportunities, or quietly change your rights under Ontario law. These risks aren’t always obvious on a first read.

Speaking with an employment contract lawyer in Ontario before you sign can help you understand what the contract really says, what it means for you long-term, and whether the terms are enforceable.

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When Should You Speak to an Employment Contract Lawyer in Ontario?

You should consider legal advice if you’re being asked to sign an employment contract in any of the following situations:

• Before starting a new job
• When offered a promotion or new role with updated terms
• If your employer asks you to sign a contract after you’ve already started working
• When a contract limits severance, notice, or termination rights
• If restrictive clauses could affect your ability to work elsewhere
• When the contract is described as “standard” or “non-negotiable”

Once a contract is signed, your options are far more limited.

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What an Ontario Employment Contract Lawyer Reviews

An employment contract lawyer focuses on the clauses that most often affect employees down the road — especially at termination.

This typically includes reviewing:

• Termination and severance clauses that may limit your entitlements
• Fixed-term employment language that can eliminate severance entirely
• Ontario probation period provisions that extend beyond legal limits
• Non-compete and non-solicitation clauses that restrict future work
• Compensation, bonus, and commission terms
• Clauses allowing unilateral changes to your role or location
• Language limiting your ability to bring legal claims

Many of these clauses appear harmless — until your employment ends.

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Why You Shouldn’t Rely on the Employer’s Explanation

Employers often say a contract is “standard” or that “everyone signs it.”

What they don’t explain is that employment contracts are usually drafted to protect the employer, not the employee.

Even subtle wording can:

• Reduce or eliminate Ontario common law severance
• Lock you into a fixed end date with no notice
• Restrict where or for whom you can work next
• Change your rights if your job is terminated without cause

An employment contract lawyer can tell you what the contract actually does, not just how it’s described.

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Why Legal Advice Matters Before You Sign

In Ontario, employment contracts are generally enforced only if they comply with employment standards and common law principles.

Many contracts include termination or severance clauses that appear to limit an employee’s rights — but are actually unenforceable because they violate Ontario law or are poorly drafted.

The problem is this:

• Employers often rely on unenforceable clauses to pressure employees into accepting less severance
• Employees who don’t know their rights may assume the contract is binding
• Disputes over enforceability usually arise after termination, when the stakes are much higher

Getting legal advice before you sign helps you understand:

• Whether termination clauses in Ontario employment contracts are likely enforceable or vulnerable
• What your true severance pay in Ontario could be under common law — it could be up to 24 months
• Where a contract may give an employer leverage — or expose them to risk

In many cases, the real danger isn’t that a clause is enforceable — it’s that employees don’t know when it isn’t.

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Why Choose Samfiru Tumarkin LLP

Samfiru Tumarkin LLP is Canada’s largest law firm focused exclusively on employees.

• ✅ 50,000+ employees helped across Ontario
• ✅ Millions recovered in severance and compensation
• ✅ Canada’s most reviewed employment law firm
• ✅ Regularly quoted in national media on employment law issues
• ✅ Decades of experience reviewing and challenging employment contracts

We understand how employment contracts are drafted — and how they’re enforced.

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Speak to an Employment Contract Lawyer Before You Sign

Before you accept an offer or sign an updated agreement, get clear legal advice on what your employment contract really means.

A short review now can prevent serious problems later.