Expert Analysis

Wrongful dismissal: The ‘damages formerly known as Wallace’ are back

By Stuart Rudner ( July 16, 2026, 10:56 AM EDT) -- Early in my career, “Wallace damages” were all the rage. After the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Wallace v. United Grain Growers (c.o.b. Public Press), [1997] 3 S.C.R. 701, a common law notice period could be extended to punish an employer’s bad faith in the manner of dismissal, and it seemed that every wrongful dismissal claim included a “Wallace bump.”...