Employment Law

Can Employers in Ontario Change a Worker’s Job Description?

June 5, 2025

A photo of a worker with her hand over her face. (Photo: Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock)

📌 Quick Answer: In Ontario, your employer can’t significantly change your job description, duties, or title without your consent. If they try to, you may be able to treat it as a constructive dismissal and pursue full severance pay.

If you’re a non-unionized employee in Ontario, your employer can’t make major changes to your job description, responsibilities, or title without your permission. This includes attempts to:

Add extra duties without extra pay
Move you into a different role
Reduce your core responsibilities
Change your job title without justification

Unless your employment contract gives them that power — or you agree to the changes — they could be breaking the law.

⚠️ You may be able to claim constructive dismissal, which would entitle you to up to 24 months’ pay.

Can My Employer Change My Job Description Without Consent in Ontario?

Can my employer change my job description without consent in Ontario?
In most cases, no — your employer can’t unilaterally change your job description or responsibilities if you’re a non-unionized employee in Ontario.

Significant changes to your job duties without your agreement can trigger a constructive dismissal, meaning you could quit and pursue a severance package.

Examples of major changes include:

A shift to a completely different role
Losing core responsibilities that define your job
Being assigned new tasks outside the scope of your original role

What Counts as Consent?

Consent must be clear and voluntary. If you continue working under the new terms for too long without objecting, the employer may argue that you accepted the changes.

Exceptions: When Can Employers Make Job Changes?

There are a few exceptions where your employer may be allowed to change your job duties:

Your employment contract allows it. Some contracts include clauses giving employers flexibility to modify your role.
They give you advance notice. In rare cases, employers can provide sufficient working notice before changing your role.

Even in these scenarios, the changes must not be fundamental or unreasonable. If they are, you still may have a claim for constructive dismissal.

⚠️ Even in these scenarios, the changes must not be fundamental or unreasonable. If they are, you still may have a claim for constructive dismissal.

Can Employers Add Duties Without Compensation?

Not usually. If your boss adds extra responsibilities to your job without adjusting your pay or title, and the change is significant, it may be considered a breach of contract.

This could include:

Managing additional staff
Taking on new departments or clients
Performing tasks well outside your job description

These types of changes can trigger a constructive dismissal, especially when they affect your workload or professional status without fair compensation.

What if Your Contract Says Nothing About Changes?

If your employment contract doesn’t say your employer can add duties or change your role, they can’t legally make those changes without your consent — even if they think it’s “reasonable.”

📞 You’re entitled to push back and speak with an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP before agreeing to take on more work without added pay or benefits.

Can My Employer Change My Job Role Without My Consent?

No. In Ontario, your employer can’t change your job title or role without your agreement — especially if the change is significant.

If the new title:

Carries less responsibility
Affects your professional reputation
Suggests a demotion
Doesn’t match your current duties

It could be considered a constructive dismissal, giving you the right to resign and claim full severance pay — up to 24 months’ compensation in total.

ℹ️ Looking for info about other types of job changes? Explore our full guide: Changes to Your Job in Ontario: Explore Your Options

What Does the Law Say About Job Title Changes?

There’s no specific law about job titles, but courts in Ontario look at whether the overall nature of your position has been changed without consent.

Even if the title itself seems minor, what matters is the impact on your role, pay, and professional standing.

What If Your Employer Says It’s “Just a Title”?

Even subtle changes to your job title or responsibilities can affect how you’re perceived in the workplace or future job searches. You don’t have to accept a change that lowers your value or shifts your responsibilities in a way that wasn’t agreed to.

What Are My Rights If My Job Responsibilities Change?

In Ontario, non-unionized employees have the right to refuse major changes to their job responsibilities — especially if those changes weren’t part of the original agreement.

Employers can’t legally change the duties of a worker without:

Your written or verbal consent
A clause in your employment contract
Providing reasonable working notice

⚠️ If your work responsibilities are changed significantly without your approval, it may violate your rights under employment law.

Examples of Unlawful Changes to Duties

You’re asked to take on management responsibilities when you were hired in a non-managerial role
Tasks are removed that form the core of your position (e.g. client contact, decision-making)
Your role is restructured to support another department without your input

⚠️ Important: Not all changes qualify as constructive dismissal — minor day-to-day adjustments are allowed. But if the change alters the character of your job, you have legal grounds to act.

What If I’m Pressured to Accept a New Employment Contract?

If your employer gives you a new employment contract that changes your job title, duties, or responsibilities, be cautious.

You are likely signing away your right to challenge future changes — including:

A pay cut
A demotion
New duties you didn’t agree to

Don’t Rush Into Signing

You do not have to sign a new agreement right away. Your employer can’t force you to accept major changes to your job or contract without giving you time to review it.

Before signing anything that affects your role, speak with an employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP. These contracts often limit your rights — sometimes permanently.

👉 For more information about how contracts affect your rights, visit our full guide to employment contracts in Ontario.

Can I Be Punished for Refusing a Job Change?

No. Your employer can’t punish you for asserting your rights and refusing major changes to your job description or responsibilities.

If you tell your boss that you don’t agree to a change — and they respond by:

Cutting your hours or pay
Demoting you
Transferring you to another department
Isolating or harassing you
Threatening termination

Those actions could be considered a reprisal, which is illegal in Ontario.

🟢 Real Example: One of our — a project manager at a construction company in Ontario — was asked to take on manual labour duties, which were well outside her original role. She politely declined and reminded her employer that her job description hadn’t changed in writing. The company decided to cut her hours, remove her name from client emails, and eventually pressured her to resign.

She contacted our firm. We confirmed this was a constructive dismissal, and she was entitled to 18 months’ severance pay. She didn’t have to accept the unfair treatment — and neither do you.

What To Do If You’re Being Punished

Document everything:

Save emails or texts showing how you objected
Record how your job changed afterward
Keep notes on how you’ve been treated

Then, speak to an employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP. You are owed full severance pay and additional compensation for how you were treated.

Can I Be Fired for Refusing a Job Change?

Yes — but only with proper severance.

In Ontario, non-unionized employees can be terminated without cause for nearly any reason, including refusing a change to your job description or duties.

But there’s a critical rule: Your employer must provide full severance — as much as 24 months’ pay.

🛑 Termination without severance (“for cause”) is rare. This type of dismissal — which results in no severance and no EI — is reserved for serious misconduct. Refusing a major change to duties doesn’t meet that standard.

Speak to an Employment Lawyer if Your Duties Have Changed

If you’re a non-unionized employee in Ontario and your employer has:

Changed your job description, title, or duties without your consent
Pressured you to sign a new contract that allows job changes
Punished you for refusing new responsibilities (e.g. demotion, pay cut, shift changes)
Fired you after objecting to a role or responsibility change

You may be entitled to full severance pay (up to 24 months’ compensation) through a constructive dismissal or wrongful dismissal claim.

Samfiru Tumarkin LLP has helped thousands of employees in Ontario challenge illegal changes at work. Our Ontario employment lawyers can explain your legal options — with no cost unless we win.

🛡️ You’re Not Alone. We’ve helped many Ontarians secure compensation after changes to their job description, duties, or responsibilities. If your boss isn’t following the law, our employment lawyers in Toronto and Ottawa can help you protect your income and your rights.

👥 Over 50,000 clients helped across Canada
💰 Millions recovered in severance and compensation
⚖️ No win, no fee — you don’t pay unless we win*
⭐ 2,283 5-star Google reviews across Ontario (4.8 average)
🏆 Recognized as one of Canada’s Best Law Firms by The Globe and Mail

* Conditions apply. Not all cases qualify.

Contact us now to find out what you’re owed. Book your consultation or call 1-855-821-5900.

Concerned About Changes to Your Duties?

Speak to an Ontario employment lawyer if your employer added new duties or changed your role without your consent.

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Can Employers in Ontario Change a Worker’s Job Description?