Bonus triggered after departure: Matthews v. Ocean Nutrition
Supreme Court judgment · appeal allowed
Reported facts
Matthews left after responsibilities were removed and was found constructively dismissed. The company sale triggering his incentive bonus occurred within the 15-month reasonable-notice period.
Published outcome
The Supreme Court allowed his appeal: compensation for failure to give notice included the bonus because the plan did not unambiguously exclude it in these circumstances.
Limits when comparing your own situation
The 15 months was case-specific. Common-law notice, statutory minimums and incentive-plan wording differ; not every resignation is constructive dismissal or preserves a bonus.
Questions to prepare for your own situation
- When did the bonus trigger compared with my departure?
- What plan exclusions and employment terms were signed?
- What changed in my role before I left?
These preparation questions are our editorial guidance, not findings in the original case.
References and editorial date
Supreme Court of Canada · judgment and court summary
Source publication：2020-10-09
Source checked and summary prepared：2026-10-04
Our concise paraphrase is not an official translation or an assessment of your case. Reference addresses are recorded for traceability.
https://www.scc-csc.ca/judgments-jugements/cb/2020/38252/
https://decisions.scc-csc.ca/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/18496/index.do