Ancillary Claims for Damages in Employment Law

• Author: Robert L. Colson and A. Jane Milburn
• Pages: 427-446



AncillaryClaimsforDamagesin

Employment Law

Robert L. Colson and A. Jane Milburn*

A. INTRODUCTION

Fewwouldarguewiththepropositionthattheworkplacehascometo

occupy an everincreasing role in how individuals withi n our society

denethemselvesandtheirrelationshiptoothersItsimpactgoeswell

beyondthephysicalboundariesoftheemploymentenvironmentitaf-

fectshowweperceiveourselveshowwedealwithothersbothinside

andoutsideoftheworkplaceandourfundamentalunderlyingsenseof

selfworthwhichinturnimpactsourfamilyrelationshipsandmanyof

ourpersonalvalues

Thistrendcontinuestogrowandshowseverysignthatitsmomen-

tumwillbemaintainedfortheforeseeablefutureWorkisbecomingan

increasinglyimportantdeninginuenceinourlivesandthecourtsare

becomingmoreaunedtoandwillingtorecognizethesignicanceof

workondeningwhoweareasindividualsandasasocietyThecourts

areincreasinglyawareofthepowerimbalanceintherelationshipbe-

tweenemployersandemployeesInthiscontextitstandstoreasonthat

ourlegalsystemwillbecalledupontorecognizethisrealityandthat

thecourtswillrespondbyreexaminingboththenatureandextentof

theremediesavailabletoemployeesuponterminationofemployment

Anumberofjudgmentsinrecentyearshaveacknowledgedtheimpor-

 RobertColsonandJaneMilburnarepartnersinthermofTeplitskyColsonLLP

ThankstoJenniferLakestudentatlawforherresearchassistance

RLCAJM

tanceofemploymentandcommenteduponthenatureandqualityofthe

employmentrelationshipandtheunderlyingcontractbetweenemployer

andemployeeThatcontractisincertainrespectsfundamentallydier-

entfromthebargainthatonewouldexpectmightbestruckbetween

equallyempoweredpartiesdealingwithoneanotheratarmslength

Thereisnohigherauthorityandperhapsnobeerstatementofthe

disparitythatexistsbetweenemployerandemployeethanthejudgment

ofIacobucciJinWallacevUnitedGrainGrowersLtd1whoadoptsthelan-

guageofSwintonJthenaprofessorwhowrote

t he terms of the employment contract ra rely result from an exer-

ciseoffreebargainingpowerinthewaythattheparadigmcommer-

cialexchangebetweentwotradersdoesIndividualemployeesonthe

wholelackboththebargainingpowerandtheinformationnecessary

toachievemorefavourablecontractprovisionsthanoeredbytheem-

ployerparticularlywithregardtotenure2

JusticeIacobuccicontinues

Thispowerimbalanceisnotlimitedtotheemploymentcontractitself

Ratheritinformsvirtuallyallfacetsoftheemploymentrelationship

InSlaightCommunicationsIncvDavidsonSCRDickson

CJwritingforthemajorityoftheCourthadoccasiontocommenton

thenatureofthisrelationshipAtpphequotedwithapproval

fromPDaviesandMFreedlandKhanFreudsLabourandtheLaw

rdedatp

Therelationbetweenanemployerandanisolatedemployee

orworkeristypicallyarelationbetweenabearerofpower

and one who is not a bearer of power In its inception it is

anactofsubmissioninitsoperationitisaconditionofsub-

ordination

Thevulnerabilityofemployeesisunderscoredbythelevelofim-

portancewhichoursocietyaachestoemploymentAsDicksonCJ

notedinRef erence Re Public ServiceEmployeeRelationsActAlta

SCRatp

 SCRWallace

 KatherineSwintonContractLawandtheEmploymentRelationshipTheProper

ForumforReforminBarryJReiterJohnSwanedsStudies in Contract Law

TorontoBuerworthsat