Employers have been able to avoid some employment expenditures for many years by using independent contractors rather than workers covered by the Employment Standards Act.
According to an H&R Block research, the gig economy employs 8.75 million Canadians or 28% of Canadian adults. This is up from 13% last year, and nearly three-quarters of those 8.75 million workers say their gig job supplemented their principal source of income.
According to Nancy Shapiro, while the party isn’t quite over for employers, it’s close to the end. According to her, recent legislative developments imply that companies should be planning how they will absorb rising labor expenses as gig workers get improved protection.
Shapiro, a partner at Koskie Minsky LLP whose civil litigation practice is solely devoted to employment law, will speak at the next Employment Law Masterclass hosted by Canadian Lawyer. The seminar is scheduled on April 25 and will focus on “terminations, hybrid policies, and employees’ rights.” The Masterclass has been approved by the Law Society of Ontario for four hours and 35 minutes of professional material. Shapiro’s talk, “Emerging Legal Issues in the Gig Economy,” begins at 3:35 p.m. EDT.
The potential to avoid Employment Standards duties such as minimum wage, withholding of employment insurance and the Canada Pension Plan, and vacation and statutory holiday compensation was appealing to corporations. Several jurisdictions additionally compel companies to pay a health premium.
