Gloriavale employment court decision raises the question, who is an employee?

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Articles, Legal: Boys' Employment Case

Gloriavale employment court decision raises the question, who is an employee?

Gloriavale employment court decision raises the question, who is an employee?
Articles, Legal: Boys' Employment Case

By Shima Grice | Sharp Tudhope Lawyers |

This week the Employment Court handed down a landmark decision relating to three former members of the Gloriavale Christian community. While this case might seem extreme or unusual it is a timely reminder for employers to consider who is working for them, and whether they have the right agreements in place.

Who is an employee?

The short answer is that an employee is a person who has agreed to be employed to work for some form of payment under a contract of service (an employment agreement). More about this later.

In the case of the Gloriavale three, the court ruled that the “chores” they undertook between the age of 6 and 14 were regular in nature and directly contributed to the commercial operations of the business. Gloriavale was obliged to pay and treat them as employees.

Continue reading: Who is an employee?