When a business deal goes sideways, it’s tempting to argue that “everyone understood” what was meant, or that past behaviour should count for something. In British Columbia, where contract language is clear, that argument rarely succeeds. Canadian courts, including BC courts, are generally consistent on one principle: if you signed it, the words in the agreement govern.

In British Columbia, employers cannot contract out of the minimum standards set by the Employment Standards Act (ESA). If an employment agreement provides less than those minimum protections, the law will not enforce it.

When an employee refuses to follow a workplace policy, many BC employers assume termination is straightforward. It rarely is. The law imposes several requirements before dismissal, and getting it wrong can expose your business to a costly wrongful dismissal claim.