Can My Employer Fire Me by Text or Email in Ontario?
Being let go by a text, an email, or a two-minute call feels wrong, but it is usually still a valid dismissal. What the law cares about is your severance, not the delivery method.
Key takeaways
- A firing by text, email, or verbally is generally a valid dismissal.
- The method does not reduce the severance you are owed.
- A without-cause dismissal means severance is owed however it was delivered.
- A cruel or humiliating firing can add bad-faith or moral damages.
- Get the delivered number reviewed; the first offer is usually low.
In this article
Getting terminated by a text message, a one-line email, or a rushed phone call feels degrading, and people often assume it cannot be legal. In Ontario, the uncomfortable truth is that the method of firing usually does not make it invalid. What actually matters is whether you were paid what you are owed, and sometimes, whether the manner of dismissal was bad enough to cost the employer extra.
✅Quick answer. Yes, an employer can generally dismiss you by text, email, or verbally, and it is still a valid termination. The delivery method does not reduce your entitlements: if you were let go without cause, you are owed ESA termination pay, severance where it applies, and common-law reasonable notice, no matter how the news was delivered. Where the manner of firing matters is at the margins: a humiliating, dishonest, or cruel dismissal can support bad-faith or moral damages on top of your severance.
The method usually does not make it invalid
There is no rule in Ontario that a termination must be delivered in person or on fancy letterhead to count. A verbal firing, an email, or even a text can validly end the employment. So do not assume that because it was done unprofessionally, it did not happen or that you can ignore it. The clock on your rights, including deadlines, generally starts running regardless of how you were told.
Your severance is the same either way
The way you were dismissed does not shrink what you are owed. A without-cause termination entitles you to your ESA minimums plus common-law reasonable notice based on your age, service, and role, whether it came by courier or by group chat. If anything, a sloppy, abrupt firing is a sign the employer may not have thought carefully about your entitlements, which is all the more reason to have the number checked.
When the manner of firing costs the employer more
Employers owe a duty of good faith in how they dismiss employees. A termination carried out in a way that is untruthful, misleading, unduly insensitive, or humiliating, and that causes real mental distress, can support additional bad-faith or moral damages beyond your notice. Being fired by text in front of colleagues, or being lied to about the reason, can fall into this territory. That is covered in our guide to bad-faith and moral damages.
What should you do if you were fired this way?
- 1.Save the message, email, or a note of the call, including the date and what was said.
- 2.Do not sign or accept any offer on the spot; the first number is usually low.
- 3.Note anything humiliating or dishonest about how it was done, in case bad-faith damages apply.
- 4.Get your severance reviewed, since a rushed firing often means a rushed, low offer.
The indignity of a text-message firing is real, but your leverage is in the severance, not the format. See wrongful dismissal in Ontario and bad-faith damages, and start with a severance review to find out what that message actually costs your employer.
Frequently asked questions
Can my employer legally fire me by text or email in Ontario?
Generally yes. A termination by text, email, or verbally is still a valid dismissal. The method does not make it invalid, and your rights and deadlines generally start running regardless of how you were told.
Do I get less severance because I was fired by text?
No. The delivery method does not reduce your entitlements. A without-cause dismissal owes you ESA minimums plus common-law reasonable notice however it was communicated.
Can I get extra money for being fired in a humiliating way?
Possibly. Employers owe a duty of good faith in how they dismiss you. A dishonest, insensitive, or humiliating firing that causes real mental distress can support bad-faith or moral damages on top of your severance.
What should I do first after a text or email firing?
Save the message and the date, do not accept any offer on the spot, note anything humiliating or dishonest about how it was done, and get your severance reviewed. A rushed firing often comes with a low first offer.
Priya Sharma
Legal Writer, Mirza Law
Priya Sharma is a legal writer at Mirza Law in Toronto. She writes about wrongful dismissal, workplace rights, and what Ontario employees can do when they are treated unfairly.
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