From Master and Servant to Bardal and Beyond: 200 years of Employment Law in Ontario, 1807 to 2007

• Author: Mr. Justice Randall Scott Echlin
• Pages: 1-44



FromMasterandServant

to BardalandBeyond

yearsofEmploymentLawin

Ontarioto

TheHonourableMrJusticeRandallScoEchlin

Superior Court of Justice*

“Employmentisnaturesphysicianandisessentialtohumanhappiness”

ClaudiusGalenGreekphysicianandmedicalwriterAD

A. INTRODUCTION

Workisoneofthemostfundamentalaspectsinapersonslifepro-

vidingtheindividualwithameansofnancialsupportandasim-

portantlyacontributoryroleinsocietyApersonsemploymentisan

essentialcomponentofhisorhersenseofidentityselfworthandemo-

tionalwellbeing

ChiefJusticeDicksonoftheSupremeCourtofCanadaacknowledgedthe

centralimportanceofworkinpeopleslivesinthisoquotedpassage

fromadecisionOverthepasttwentyyearstheSupremeCourthas

increasinglytakenstepstoprotectthelegalpositionofworkersintheem-

ploymentrelationshipJusticeIacobucciinparticulartookupthecause

inordertopromotedecencyandhumanityintheworkplaceespecially

∗ JusticeRandallScoEchlinwasappointedtotheOntarioSuperiorCourtofJustice

inAprilJusticeEchlinexpresseshissincereappreciationandgratitudeto

ChristineDobbyLawClerkSuperiorCourtofJusticeforherenthusiasticinsight-

fulandmostcapableassistanceinthepreparationofthispaper

 ChiefJusticeDicksonwritingindissentinReferenceRePublicServiceEmployeeRela-

tions Act (Alta.)SCRat

HRSE

inrespectoftheterminationoftherelationshipHoweverworkerswere

notalwaysaccordedeventhisbasiclevelofprotectionTheemployment

relationshipinearlythcenturyOntariowasquitedierentfromwhat

itistodayThecharacteroftherelationshipwasforgedlongbeforeeven

thattimeduetotheinuenceofthelawsofEnglandonOntarioslegal

frameworkTheBlackDeathinthethcenturyspurredtherstlabour

legislationinEnglandInresponsetoseverelabourshortagesTheOrdin-

ance of LabourersandThe Statute of Labourerswereproclaimedin

andrespectivelyandformedthebasisofthemasterandservant

relationshipThegoalofthelegislationwhichgreatlyfavouredemploy-

erswastoensureastableandcheapsupplyoflabouratatimewhen

workersmightotherwisehavebeenabletodemandhigherwagesand

beerworkingconditionsBythethcenturymasterandservantstat-

uteswereinuencingthelawinOntarioFacedwithanewsetoflabour

problemsthatagainincludedlabourshortagesmagistratesintheyoung

colonydustedotheoldstatutesandsetthemtowork

ThispapertracesthedevelopmentofemploymentlawinOntario

fromthattimeuntilthepresentTheprimarylensthroughwhichthe

 See Machtinger infra noteWallace inf ra noteandMcKinleyinfra note

 EdwIII

 EdwIII

 Thereissomeconfusionastothecorrectcitationofthetwostatuteswhichare

sometimescollectivelyreferredtoasT he Statute of LabourersFurthermorethe

statuteissometimesreferredtoasTh e Statute of Labourers ratherthantheOrdinance

of Labourers

 ThispaperreliesagreatdealontheexcellentresearchofothersForexamplePaul

CravenandJeremyWebberhaveconductedextensivestudiesoftheemployment

relationshipinthcenturyOntarioSeePaulCravenTheLawofMasterand

ServantinMidNineteenthCenturyOntarioinDavidHFlahertyedEssaysin

the History of Canadian LawVolTorontoUniversityofTorontoPressforThe

OsgoodeSocietyCravenMasterandServantandJeremyWebber

LabourandtheLawinPaulCravenedLabouringLivesWorkandWorkersinNine-

teenthCenturyOntarioTorontoUniversityofTorontoPressCraven

Labouring LivesInterestinglytheSpecialLecturesbeganwithanexcellentpaper

bySydneyLRobinsQCentitledHistoricalTreatmentoftheEmployerEmployee

RelationshipseeLawSocietyofUpperCanadaSpecialLecturesonEmploymentLaw

TorontoRDeBooInadditiontothishistoricalresearchGavinHume

QCandDavidWonghaveproducedaveryhelpfulstudyontheaermathofthe

WallacedecisionWallaceDamagesWhatConstitutesBadFaithinToddAr-

chibaldRandallScoEchlinedsAnnualReviewofCivilLitigationToronto

CarswellAlsoontheissueofdamagesinthepostWallace eraseeMichael

PFitzgibbonPhilippeCVachonOtheBeatenPathDamagesinEmployment

LawHowtoStayontheTrailCanadianBarAssociationNationalAdministra-

tiveLawLabourandEmploymentLawConferenceNovemberInterms

FromMasterandServanttoBardalandBeyond

ofgeneraltextsonCanadianemploymentlawDavidHarriswasthepioneerinthe

eldrstpublishinghistextWrongful DismissalTorontoRDeBooin

atatimewhentherewasadearthofwritingonthesubjectSincethattimethere

hasbeenagreatexpansioninwritingonemploymentlawOtherimportantand

usefultextsincludeStaceyReginaldBallCanadianEmploymentLawlooseleafAu-

roraONCanadaLawBookInnisChristieQCwithGeoreyEngland

BrentCoerEmploymentLawinCanadadedTorontoBuerworthsMark

VincentEllisFiduciaryDutiesinCanadalooseleafDonMillsONRDeBoo

JereyGoodmanAllisonTaylorAGuidetoAlternativeWorkRelationshipsAurora

ONCanadaLawBookMNormanGrosmanAPracticalGuidetotheLawof

HiringinOntarioAuroraONAuroraProfessionalPressBarbaraGHum-

phreyHumanResourcesGuidetotheDutytoAccommodateAuroraONCanadaLaw

BookJamesGKnightLisaSGoodfellowCarmanJOverholtEmploy-

ment Litigation ManuallooseleafMarkhamONLexisNexisBuerworths

BarryKuretzkyJenniferMacKenzieMediatingEmploymentDisputesAuroraON

CanadaLawBookandHumanResourcesGuidetoManagingWorkplaceHarass-

ment AuroraONCanadaLawBookHowardALeviThe Law of Dis missal

In CanadalooseleafAuroraONCanadaLawBookMalcolmJMacKillop

JamesGKnightKerryWilliamsDamageControlAnEmployersGuidetoJust

Cause for TerminationdedAuroraONCanadaLawBookMelanieMan-

ningPregnancytheWorkplaceandtheLawAuroraONCanadaLawBook

AdrianMiedemaBradRafauliHRManagersGuidetoNonCompetitionandNon

Solicitation Agreements TorontoCarswellEllenEMoleMarionJStendon

The Wrongful Dismiss al HandbookdedMarkhamONLexisNexisBuerworths

JaniceRubinAPracticalGuidetotheLawofTerminationinOntarioAurora

ONAuroraProfessionalPressJaniceRubinChristineThomlinsonHuman

ResourcesGuidetoWorkplaceInvestigationsAuroraONCanadaLawBook

andJohnRSproatEmploymentLawManualWrongfulDismissalHumanRightsand

EmploymentStandardslooseleafTorontoThomsonCarswellBrianAGros-

manhaswrienseveralsignicanttextsonvariousspecicsubtopicsrelatingto

CanadianemploymentlawincludingCorporateLoyaltyATrustBetrayedMarkham

ONPenguinBooksCanadawithJohnRMartinDiscriminationinEmploy-

mentinOntarioAuroraONCanadaLawBookandEmploymentLawin

OntarioAGuideforEmployersandEmployeesAuroraONCanadaLawBook

TheExecutiveFiringLineWrongfulDismissalandtheLawAgincourtONCarswell

MethuenFirePowerThePositiveApproachtotheDilemmaFacedbyEveryEm-

ployerandEmployeeMarkhamONPenguinBookswithAllanReznikFire

ProongProtectingYourJobinthesTorontoKeyPorterBooksandPink Slip

Chronicles TorontoFirePowerPressInadditionthisauthorhashadthedis-

tinctprivilegeofcollaboratingwithMahewCertosimoJenniferFantiniMalcolm

JMacKillopandChristineMThomlinsononthefollowingbooksCertosimo

Just Cause: The Law of Summary Di smissal in CanadalooseleafAuroraONCanada

LawBookFantiniQuiingforGoodReasonTheLawofConstructiveDismissal

in Canada AuroraONCanadaLawBookMacKillopCreative Solutions:

PerspectivesonCanadianEmploymentLawdedAuroraONAuroraProfessional

PressandThomlinsonForBeerorForWorseAPracticalGuidetoCanadian

EmploymentLawdedAuroraONAuroraProfessionalPress