Markham and York Region Employment Lawyer

A Markham employment lawyer helps non-unionized workers navigate the legal issues that arise from their job. That typically includes reviewing severance offers and negotiating better terms, pursuing wrongful dismissal claims for terminations without proper notice or pay, advising on workplace harassment, discrimination, and human rights matters, reviewing employment contracts before you sign, and representing employees in workplace investigations and disputes.

Many of these matters are resolved through negotiation rather than litigation, particularly when an employee gets legal advice early in the dispute.

The minimum severance you are entitled to comes from Ontario's Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) and depends on your length of service and your employer's payroll. However, employees terminated without cause in Ontario are often entitled to significantly more under the common law, which considers factors including your age, position, length of service, and how quickly you can find similar work.

For workers in specialized, senior, or technical roles common in Markham's tech and corporate sectors, the common-law amount is often two or three times the statutory minimum, sometimes more. Whether your offer reflects what you are actually owed is something an employment lawyer in Markham can assess directly.

As early as possible. If you have been terminated, offered a severance package, asked to sign a new contract, or are experiencing harassment or discrimination at work, the early decisions you make can determine the outcome. Severance offers often have signing deadlines, and once you sign a release, it is binding.

Speaking with a lawyer before signing typically costs less than what is left on the table when workers sign without advice.

If you were terminated without cause and not given proper notice or pay in lieu, you generally have a wrongful dismissal claim, though most are resolved through negotiation rather than court. "For cause" terminations require employers to meet a high legal threshold, and many for-cause terminations do not actually meet that threshold.

A wrongful dismissal lawyer in Markham can assess whether your termination crosses that line and what your claim is worth.

Yes. Achkar Law's employment lawyers serve non-unionized workers across all of York Region: Markham (including Unionville, Cornell, Buttonville, Markham Centre, Cathedraltown, Berczy, and other neighborhoods), Thornhill (Markham side), Richmond Hill, Whitchurch-Stouffville, and the surrounding York Region communities. Consultations are available virtually across Ontario.

Yes. Most employment law matters can be handled entirely through video or phone consultations, with documents exchanged electronically. Many of our York Region clients prefer virtual consultations for convenience, particularly when working through a stressful workplace issue or after a recent termination.

In Ontario, "employment lawyer" and "labour lawyer" are often used interchangeably, but technically: employment law covers individual workplace relationships for non-unionized employees, while labour law covers unionized workplaces and collective bargaining.

For unionized employees, most workplace disputes go through the grievance procedure under the collective agreement, and the union is your representative. Achkar Law represents non-unionized employees across Markham and York Region on the full range of employment matters, and represents unionized employees on human rights complaints that fall outside what the grievance procedure addresses. We do not represent unionized workers on collective-agreement disputes; for those, your union or its legal counsel is your representative. For employers and management seeking labour law counsel, please visit our labour law practice for employers.

Markham is home to a substantial technology, finance, insurance, and corporate workforce, and restructurings, reorganizations, and tech-sector layoffs are common. If you have been laid off or terminated as part of a corporate restructuring at a non-unionized Markham employer, your entitlements come from the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and at common law, and you may be entitled to notice, severance, continued benefits, and protection of any unvested equity, bonuses, or commissions you have earned.

Severance amounts for Markham workers in specialized, senior, or technical roles are often substantially higher than the statutory minimum, especially when you factor in unvested equity grants and performance compensation. An employment lawyer can confirm what you are owed and what your options are.