In O’Reilly v Imax Corp ( 2019 ONCA 991) the Court was faced again with the issue of what type of language in a bonus or stock option plan effectively denies the dismissed employee compensation for these elements over the notice period .
The exact wording under review was as follows
III. THE CONTRACTUAL PROVISIONS
18 The LTIP contained provisions for the award of both RSUs and stock options:
RSUs under the LTIP
This Agreement sets forth the general terms and conditions of Restricted Share Units (“RSUs”). By accepting the RSUs, the Participant agrees to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the IMAX 2013 Long Term Incentive Plan (the “IMAX LTIP”). . . .
4. Termination of Employment Generally. In the event that the Participant’s employment with the Company terminates for any reason other than death, Disability or for Cause, the RSUs shall cease to vest and any unvested RSUs shall be cancelled immediately without consideration as of the date of such termination. Any vested RSUs shall continue to be settled on the applicable Settlement Date.
5. Death; Disability. If the Participant’s employment with the Company terminates as a result of the Participant’s death or Disability, a portion of the RSUs shall vest such that, when combined with previously vested RSUs, an aggregate of 50% of the RSUs granted pursuant to the Agreement shall have vested. Any vested RSUs shall be settled on the applicable Settlement Date and any unvested RSUs shall be cancelled immediately without consideration as of the date of termination.
6. Termination for Cause. If the Participant’s employment with the Company terminates for Cause, any outstanding RSUs, whether or not vested, shall be cancelled immediately without consideration as of the date of termination, and the Participant shall have no further right or interest therein.
Stock Option Grants under the LTIP
This Agreement sets forth the general terms and conditions of Options. By accepting the Options, the Participant agrees to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the IMAX Corporation Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “IMAX LTIP”). . . .
(5) Termination of Employment Generally. In the event that the Participant’s employment with the Company terminates for any reason other than death, Disability or for Cause, the Options shall cease to vest, any unvested Options shall immediately be cancelled and revert back to the Company for no consideration and the Participant shall have no further right or interest therein. Any vested Options shall continue to be exercisable for a period of thirty (30) days following the date of such termination; . . . To the extent that any vested Options are not exercised within such period following termination of employment, such Options shall be cancelled and revert back to the Company for no consideration and the Participant shall have no further right or interest therein.
19 A separate Stock Option Plan provided for the award of stock options in addition to those provided under the LTIP. The relevant provision stated as follows:
Stock Option Grants under the Stock Option Plan
7. Termination of Employment, Consulting Agreement or Term of Office
(a) In the event that a Participant’s employment, consulting arrangement or term of office with the Company or one of its Subsidiariesterminates for any reason, unless the Board or the Committeedetermines otherwise, any Options which have not become Vested Options shall terminate and be cancelled without any consideration being paid therefor. [Emphasis in original.]
The Court of Appeal upheld the trial judges’ finding that these clauses did not oust the Plaintiff’s common law entitlement to compensation for these elements of compensation during the reasonable notice period. This is what they had to say :
56 In the application of the second step, the motion judge, referring to Veer, found that the reference to “terminates for any reason” in the plans could not be presumed to refer to termination without cause. Further, he found that the phrase “cancelled immediately without consideration” was not “a clear, express provision that remove[d] the common law right of an employee, terminated without cause, to claim damages in respect of lost unvested RSUs”: at para. 64.
57 The motion judge applied the correct legal principles and arrived at the correct conclusion. As I have explained in the discussion of Kieran, above, in the absence of unambiguous contractual language, as there was in Kieran, the awards continued to vest during the reasonable notice period. The respondent was entitled to damages for the loss of his entitlement to exercise his rights.
My Comments :
This issue is, as the Court said in a footnote ( see below)
” fertile ground for litigation”.
Maybe, just maybe, this decision will provide some much needed guidance on how to properly approach the issue not only of these bonus clauses but also ESA termination clauses.
This case illustrates that it is NOT an exercise in determining which interpretation is more reasonable, as it would be in a normal commercial contract.
Rather, you start with the assumption that the dismissed employee is entitled to receive his or her total compensation over the notice period and only then do you see if the plan language is so clear and unambiguous that the employee should get less than his or her common law entitlement.
Any reasonable ambiguity means the clause is ineffective.
Yes, it does look like legal hair splitting.
But remember, the Courts realize that there is no real bargaining in these relationships and that these agreements are more like a contract of adhesion.
Moreover, it seems that Courts are bothered by the idea that the party breaching the contract of employment, by failing to give reasonable working notice, should then seek to benefit by this breach and claim that the employee is not entitled to payment solely because they are no longer working for the company.
Case Footnote :
That this area remains fertile ground for litigation is demonstrated by the fact that in the past year there have been four decisions of this court on the same subject: Dawe v. The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada, 2019 ONCA 512, 435 D.L.R. (4th) 573 (bonus plans); Mikelsteins v. Morrison Hershfield Limited, 2019 ONCA 515, 56 C.C.E.L. (4th) 1, leave to appeal requested, 38806 (shareholders’ agreement and share bonus); Manastersky v. Royal Bank of Canada, 2019 ONCA 609, 146 O.R. (3d) 647, leave to appeal requested, 38788 (incentive plan); and Andros v. Colliers Macaulay Nicolls Inc., 2019 ONCA 679, 437 D.L.R. (4th) 546 (bonus).