There are many aspects of employment law that the average non-unionized worker in Canada does not fully understand. This article will examine four features of Canadian employment law where employees often have a misconception regarding their rights. This article should not however be considered legal advice and if information is needed regarding a specific situation a lawyer should always be consulted. 1) In almost all sectors of the economy, an employer is allowed to terminate a worker's employment (fire them) at any time. In most cases there is an obligation on the employer to provide reasonable notice of the termination and to comply with Employment Standards and Human Rights legislation. However, if these requirements are met, there is nothing stopping employers from dismissing an employee, even if the employee is one of their best and was just promoted the day before! 2) When an employee is let go, they may only be entitled to Employment Standards damages, not to reasonable notice damages. Many employees assume they are entitled to reasonable notice damages once they are let go. However, employees also have an obligation to mitigate their damages - find a new job to replace their old one. If an employee does not properly attempt to mitigate their damages, or finds a new job right away, then they are not entitled to reasonable notice damages. 3) An employer is under no obligation to provide a reference letter to employees whether they have been let go for just cause or when they are wrongfully dismissed. While it is true that many employers will provide a reference letter because it can reduce their obligations to the dismissed employee, the employer is under no obligation to provide one. In fact, reference letters are one thing that employees may not be able to obtain even after winning a case against their employer in court. 4) Finally it should be noted that employers do not need to give detailed reasons for firing an employee. So long as it is done in a respectful manner, a simple "You're not the right fit with the company" is sufficient. The employer has an obligation to be clear that the employee has been let go but they do not have to go on at length giving an explanation. The above four points cover areas where employees may think they are entitled to more than they are. To determine what rights you as an employee do have in a particular situation an employment lawyer [http://www.wparkerlaw.com] should be consulted.