The B.C. Court of Appeal recently gave employers a much-needed
reminder: they're entitled to reasonable notice too.
While most employees are familiar with the fact that they are
entitled to reasonable notice if they're terminated without
cause, employers sometimes forget that the obligation works both
ways. An employee cannot simply stop showing up to work without
giving their employer time to prepare for the employee's
departure.
In Consbec v Walker, the Court of Appeal
considered the case of Peter Walker, a former employee of Consbec
Inc., a blasting and drilling company operating throughout Canada.
While working as Consbec's only employee in its Kamloops'
office, Walker abruptly quit one day in June of 2002, leaving the
office for good without having given Consbec any prior warning.
Walker incorporated a competitor company a month later.
