Ontario Court Orders Meta to Pay Fired Employee US$4.7 Million in RSUs

1 articles · Updated · lawtimesnews.com · Aug 10

An Ontario appeals court ruled Meta must deliver US$4.7 million in restricted stock units to former research director Daniel Wigdor, reversing a lower-court finding that denied the equity award.
The court said Meta’s policy stopping RSU vesting once an employee is terminated unlawfully changes compensation during the statutory notice period, violating Ontario’s Employment Standards Act.
Wigdor joined Facebook Canada in 2020 after selling Chatham Inc. to Meta and was fired in late 2023; Meta gave him eight weeks’ pay in lieu of notice, while a trial judge later set common-law notice at 10 months.
The appellate panel dismissed Meta’s cross-appeal and said sections 60 and 61 of the ESA must be read together, meaning employers cannot strip equity-plan benefits during notice even when paying a lump sum instead of working notice.
Meta said it disagrees with the ruling and is considering its options, while the decision signals broader risk for Ontario employers whose termination and equity-plan terms contract out of ESA protections.