Dismissing An Employee For Cause

What you need to know

Dismissing an employee for cause can be very challenging. However, on the right set of facts, it remains possible. A recent example is found in the case of Morton v. Royal Bank of Canada, 2024 F.C. 311. In Morton, the Federal Court upheld the decision of the adjudicator of the Industrial Relations Board that RBC was justified in terminating the employment of the claimant, Morton. Morton claimed unjust dismissal following her termination as an eighteen-year employee. She was found to have circumvented automated processes to manipulate client transactions, which resulted in her gaining almost $100,000 in fees, bonuses, and commissions which she otherwise should not have earned. The adjudicator found that "RBC was entitled to lose confidence in the trustworthiness of the Complainant and to conclude that her conduct irreparably destroyed the heart of their employment relationship, which at its essence required honesty, integrity, and trust". The