Summary of Issue: Friends Or Relatives

Decision 45444 Full Text of Decision 45444

Company in financial difficulty and claimant laid off. Claimant continued to work for father for roughly 40 hours, 10 hours of which were paid at $9/hour. Was this volunteer work? No, according to the Umpire. Work not disinterested: claimant was trying to save father's business and hoped to retain his job once the financial problems were resolved. Laprise (A-1009.90) and Bérubé (A-0986.88) cited.

Decision 21925 Full Text of Decision 21925

Drives a taxi for his father as it is impossible to transfer it to him before he purchases it; the father takes care of the payments concerning the taxi; in return, the insured will eventually receive the taxi rights for $15,000 instead of $40,000. No unpaid work in this agreement.

Decision A-0986.88 Full Text of Decision A-0986.88

One of the main questions at issue was precisely whether or not the work performed by claimant was really benevolent, i.e. whether he really did not expect to receive any pecuniary advantage. Not considered work under ss. 10(1) if work is really benevolent in nature. Claimant worked 50 hours a week in mother's snack bar. Mother and claimant's girlfriend also worked there. A claimant really providing benevolent services does not work within the meaning of ss. 10(1).

Decision 15699 Full Text of Decision 15699

Refer to: A-0986.88

Decision 16900A Full Text of Decision 16900A

There is some jurisprudence that one on UI need not keep himself entirely idle but can do volunteer work in a family business but this is subject to an actual job search and that one can leave at any time. It is not sufficient to be willing to accept work.

Decision A-0962.88 Full Text of Decision A-0962.88

As per Umpire, the Board did not err in law in concluding that there existed an employer-employee relationship between the father and the son. The latter, in certain periods, continued to look after the farm without salary other than room and board. SAMSON quoted. No comment from FC.

Decision 15702 Full Text of Decision 15702

Refer to: A-0962.88

Decision 13802A Full Text of Decision 13802A

In order to determine whether claimant was employed at his son's garage, one must examine the relationship between the parties to determine if there existed an employer-employee relationship out of which the person who provided the services could expectsome kind of remuneration. No employer-employee relationship between father and son in the normal sense. A casual arrangement whereby the father would from time to time at his sole discretion and without any remuneration lend a hand at the garage, is not employment. As in CUB 11084, there being no evidence of any remuneration, direct or indirect, immediate or eventual, claimant cannot be deemed to have been working for his son during the relevant periods. No indirect remuneration despite claimant's wife's shares inthe business. It is significant that no one is hired to replace claimant when he is not available to help out at his son's garage because that fact tends to corroborate claimant's evidence that all the time he spends at the garage is not spent working there.

Decision 15326 Full Text of Decision 15326

Clt donates a few hours per day at noon and evening to assist daughters to operate restaurant from which he has no income. Not employed in any normal sense. Father not to remain idle and not assist children for limited periods of the day.

Decision 11953 Full Text of Decision 11953

Did carpentry work for a friend, 40 hours per week, for 5 weeks, without any remuneration. Decision of board correct in fact and in law. Volunteerism exhibited by claimant during period of unemployment is a rare thing.

Decision A-0341.79 Full Text of Decision A-0341.79

The insured worked a normal week in her brothers' business. No present or future earnings or other benefits. She suffered from depression and wanted to keep busy. The Umpire did not err in law by saying that there was no contract of service. It seems to us that a person can perform work for someone else within the meaning of s. 21 even if she does not receive earnings if, moreover, there is a relationship comparable to the relationship that results from a contract of service.