Freshii hiring practices and employee rights

Interview Summary

The restaurant chain Freshii has recently made news around the province for outsourcing their employment to virtual cashiers outside of the country. Many across Ontario have criticized this decision by Freshii and questioned its legality. What are employer obligations when hiring employees outside of the province or country?

Alex Lucifero, an Ottawa employment lawyer and managing partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP joins Matt Skube on CTV Ottawa’s News at 5 to discuss the restaurant’s decision and its legality.

Interview Notes

• The legality of Freshii hiring workers from Nicaragua: Despite the ethical and moral concerns of this choice, employers are permitted to outsource labour and this practice is not illegal.
• Training new workers and employee rights: Employees should not be overly burdened with daily job responsibilities and if they have been forced to do more than is required, can pursue constructive dismissal.
• Updating employment laws due to technology: Technology does play a role in this situation, leading to a need for employment laws to catch up. Further protections are needed for employees to keep jobs in Canada and in regards to severance pay, like packages for workers at Freshii.