Chapter 4

Rights and Responsibilities of Employers, Employees and

Consumer

Main Responsibilities of Employees 

Employees have responsibilities towards their employers, even if they work part time or

don’t have a written contract with their employers. 

These are the main responsibilities of employees:

 to personally do the work they were hired to do 

 to do their work carefully and seriously (In some cases, they could be fired or
disciplined if they’re often late for work, or if they’re absent too often or for
no good reason.) 
 to avoid putting themselves or others in danger   
 to follow their employer’s instructions (There are some exceptions. For example,
if an employer asks an employee to do something dangerous or illegal, the
employee doesn’t have to follow these instructions. 
 to be loyal
When Employees Don’t Respect Their Responsibilities? / Rights of employers against
employees.

If employees don’t respect their responsibilities, the employer is allowed to take certain

actions: 

 discipline employees, such as giving a written warning, or suspending them 

 take other action against employees, such as giving a letter evaluating their
performance, or demoting them (that is, giving them a lower job) 
 fire employees if they do something very serious, such as stealing from the office 
 take employees to court to make them pay an amount of money (for example, if the
employee quits without telling the employer in advance, or
if the employee quits before the date in the employment contract)
 take employees to court to stop them from doing things that are harmful to the
business.
Employers’ Responsibilities Towards Employees/ Rights of employees.

These are the main ones:  

 Employers must give their employees a place to work and make sure they have

access to it. They must give them the tools, equipment and other things they need
to do their work. 
 Employers must pay their employees the salary and benefits they agreed
to, including vacation, paid holidays and other types of holidays.  
  Employers must make sure their employees’ working conditions are safe.  
 In some cases, employers must give their employees written
notice that their contracts are ending or that they are being laid off. Note
that employers can pay employees a sum of money instead of giving the notice. 
 Employers must treat their employees with respect. They must make sure their
employees are not harassed or discriminated against.    
NOTE: If an employee signs a written contract with the employer, it might place more
responsibilities on the employer than the ones required by law. 

. When Employers Don’t Respect Their Responsibilities?

Employees and employers can try to settle things by talking to each other. In some cases,
employees must try talking to their employer before taking any further steps. 

 Employees can file a complaint.

The office or tribunal at which to file a complaint depends on which law applies

to the situation, the jurisdiction, the amount of money the employee is asking for and
whether the employee belongs to a union.  

If the employee belongs to a union, the union can usually present a grievance (a

complaint) on the employee’s behalf for situations like these:

 The employee disagrees with the employer about what the union contract (called a

“collective agreement”) says. 
 The employer did not respect one of the employee’s legal rights.
A person called the “grievance arbitrator” decides whether the grievance is
justified. If the grievance is about the employee’s health and safety at work, the Tribunal
can also decide whether the grievance is justified. 

Employees should talk to a labor law expert before quitting a job. The expert can
tell employees how quitting will affect their rights to file a complaint. The expert can also
tell them how to prevent their employer from taking them to court after quitting.  

Unionized Workplaces  

The employer and the union can agree on the employees’ working conditions, for

example, annual vacations, pay increases and sick leave. These working conditions are
then written in the collective agreement. A collective agreement is a contract between the
employer and all the employees. It is the union that negotiates the collective agreement
with the employer. The union acts on behalf of all the employees. The responsibilities
contained in the collective agreement are in addition to the responsibilities contained in the
law.  
CONSUMER RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES

  What are the Consumer Rights and Responsibilities of which we speak?

RIGHTS
The Right to Satisfaction of Basic Needs Citizens must demand access to essential goods
and services such as adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, public
utilities, water, and sanitation.
The Right to Safety and protection from hazardous goods or services.
The Right to be Informed and protected against fraudulent, misleading information and
to have access to accurate information and facts needed to make informed choices and
decisions.
The Right to Choose and have access to a variety of products and services at fair and
competitive prices.
The Right to be Heard and to express and represent consumer interests in the making of
economic and political decisions.
The Right to Redress and to be compensated for misrepresentation, shoddy goods or
unsatisfactory services.
The Right to Consumer Education and to become a skilled and informed consumer
capable of functioning effectively in the marketplace.
The Right to a Healthy Environment that will enhance the quality of life and provide
protection from environmental problems for present and future generations.
 
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Responsibility to be aware of the quality and safety of goods and services before
purchasing.
The Responsibility to gather all the information and facts available about a product or
service as well as to keep abreast of changes and innovations in the marketplace.
The Responsibility to Think Independently and make choices about well-considered
needs and wants.
The Responsibility to Speak Out, to inform manufacturers and governments of needs
and wants.
The Responsibility to Complain and inform business and other consumers of
dissatisfaction with a product or service in a fair and honest manner.
The Responsibility to be an Ethical Consumer and to be fair by not engaging in
dishonest practices which cost all consumers money.
The Responsibility to Respect the Environment and avoid waste, littering and
contribution to pollution.