If an employer intends to terminate an employee without cause,
the employer is generally obligated to provide the employee with a
reasonable amount of notice. What
constitutes a "reasonable" amount of notice is one of the
most commonly disputed employment issues, and with good reason: not
only is it a nuanced legal matter, but it also has direct
ramifications for the bottom line of both the employee and the
company.
The amount of reasonable notice required by the common law
depends on a variety of factors, often called the Bardal
factors, such as the age of the employee, the length of service,
the character of employment, and the availability of similar
employment. Some
organizations simplify further by offering one month of reasonable
notice per year of service.
