Mitigation

​Alternate Employment

Personal factors, such as job location and family attachments, may be relevant in determining whether it is reasonable to limit the geographic range of a search for alternate employment. An employee is not required to conduct a fruitless job search, such as where the individual knows there are no realistic prospects based on their age and industry, or if an employee is ill. Courts have also been understanding of the emotional shock that some individuals feel when they are terminated, and they may find a delay of two to three months reasonable before an individual starts looking for work, though there should be evidence of the emotional impact from the termination.

An employee in a fixed term contract may be terminated without cause before the contract term has expired. It is possible that a fixed-term employment agreement contains an enforceable termination clause, and that this termination clause would limit the employee’s reasonable notice. However, in the absence of an enforceable termination clause, the courts have ruled that the termination date is the end of the contract and therefore the employee should receive all salary owing under the fixed term contract. In such a case, the employee may not have a duty to mitigate their losses. Please note that the above information does not constitute legal advice. It is general information about the law. If you require legal advice with an employment issue, please contact the experts at Ball Professional Corporation.