Section 3: Labour Relations and Record Keeping

Lesson 2: The Responsibilities of Employees

Employees also have obligations to their employers, although these are relatively few. The main reason for this is that legislation primarily exists to protect employees. Basically, there are two main duties required of employees as set out below.

•     Duty of Good Faith

An employee has the responsibility to act in an honest and faithful manner. This definition is intentionally broad to cover a wide range of employee actions. Included is an employee's duty to be loyal, trustworthy, and competent in carrying out his or her assigned tasks. As well, legislation requires an employee to provide the employer with a notion of intention to quit. Furthermore, employees must adhere to any health and safety standards established in the workplace.

•     Fiduciary Duty

This duty usually applies to employees who are in a position of trust, and it requires them not to put themselves in any situation where there may be a potential conflict of interest with their employer. For example, they are not allowed to benefit from dealings that have been diverted from the employer's business to themselves.