Employment Law Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) – Practice Test, Study Guide & Exam
Review 2026
What are the three regimes of work law discussed in Chapter 1?
Question options:
The common law regime, the regulatory regime, and the collective bargaining regime
The court system regime, administrative tribunals regime, and collective bargaining regime
The employment contracts regime, commercial contracts regime, and the collective bargaining
regime
The law of contracts regime, the law of torts regime, and the common law regime - ANS ✔✔The
common law regime, the regulatory regime, and the collective bargaining regime
What does the term "binding precedent" mean?
Question options:
Lower courts must decide similar cases in the same way as any other court in any jurisdiction,
only if they agree with the decision
Lower courts must decide similar cases in the same way as higher courts in any jurisdiction
Lower courts must decide similar cases in the same way as higher courts in the same
jurisdiction, whether they agree with the decision or not
Lower courts must decide similar cases in the same way as other lower courts in the same
jurisdiction - ANS ✔✔Lower courts must decide similar cases in the same way as higher courts
in the same jurisdiction, whether they agree with the decision or not
What main reason does the textbook identify for why governments intervened in 'freedom of
contract' by creating protective standards legislation?
Question options:
Because employers often did not exercise their superior bargaining power in a way acceptable
to society
,Because employees were too willing to bounce from job to job creating uncertainty for
employers and the economy
Because governments realized they could raise more tax dollars if people had stable
employment
Because employers were taking advantage of their employees - ANS ✔✔Because employers
often did not exercise their superior bargaining power in a way acceptable to society
According to the test set out by the Supreme Court of Canada in Sagaz, what is the single-most
important question to answer to determine employment status?
Question options:
Whose business is it?
Who controls the direction of work?
Who is responsible for hiring and firing decisions?
Who pays for the tools used? - ANS ✔✔Whose business is it?
What is the purpose of distinguishing between independent and dependent contractors?
Question options:
To distinguish between types of contractors for tax purposes
To distinguish between types of contractors for the purposes of vicarious liability
To extend some benefits of the employment relationship to contractors who are economically
dependent and subordinate
To determine who has more seniority - ANS ✔✔To extend some benefits of the employment
relationship to contractors who are economically dependent and subordinate
Which of the following is the main reason that some question whether the legal distinction
between employees and contractors is appropriate?
Question options:
Because the line between the two is very blurry and hard to adjudicate
, Because contractors may be as vulnerable as a 'typical' employee
Because contractors are typically male and thus the distinction is viewed as discriminatory
Because both are paid for work done on behalf of the organization - ANS ✔✔Because
contractors may be as vulnerable as a 'typical' employee
Why have courts decided that the Charter applies to colleges but not to universities?
Question options:
The courts have decided that colleges do not charge as high tuition as universities and are thus
in receipt of much more public funding than are universities
The courts have decided that governments have far less direct control over the day-to-day
decision-making of universities than colleges
The courts have decided that the Charter does not apply to either colleges or universities
because they are not part of government
The courts have decided that the Charter does not apply to universities because Professors
already have Academic Freedom - ANS ✔✔The courts have decided that governments have far
less direct control over the day-to-day decision-making of universities than colleges
What was the initial reception to the potential impact the Charter would have on the law of
work?
Question options:
Commentators generally believed that it would fundamentally transform work for the benefit of
all workers
Commentators generally believed that it would make things worse for workers as employers
would use it to their benefit to erode rights already won
Commentators generally believed that the Charter would make little difference in the lives of
workers because unions and employers would mostly ignore it as it applied only to government
action
Commentators were generally mixed, with one camp believing that it would be transformative
and another believing that it would make little difference for workers or could even make things
worse for them - ANS ✔✔Commentators were generally mixed, with one camp believing that it
Review 2026
What are the three regimes of work law discussed in Chapter 1?
Question options:
The common law regime, the regulatory regime, and the collective bargaining regime
The court system regime, administrative tribunals regime, and collective bargaining regime
The employment contracts regime, commercial contracts regime, and the collective bargaining
regime
The law of contracts regime, the law of torts regime, and the common law regime - ANS ✔✔The
common law regime, the regulatory regime, and the collective bargaining regime
What does the term "binding precedent" mean?
Question options:
Lower courts must decide similar cases in the same way as any other court in any jurisdiction,
only if they agree with the decision
Lower courts must decide similar cases in the same way as higher courts in any jurisdiction
Lower courts must decide similar cases in the same way as higher courts in the same
jurisdiction, whether they agree with the decision or not
Lower courts must decide similar cases in the same way as other lower courts in the same
jurisdiction - ANS ✔✔Lower courts must decide similar cases in the same way as higher courts
in the same jurisdiction, whether they agree with the decision or not
What main reason does the textbook identify for why governments intervened in 'freedom of
contract' by creating protective standards legislation?
Question options:
Because employers often did not exercise their superior bargaining power in a way acceptable
to society
,Because employees were too willing to bounce from job to job creating uncertainty for
employers and the economy
Because governments realized they could raise more tax dollars if people had stable
employment
Because employers were taking advantage of their employees - ANS ✔✔Because employers
often did not exercise their superior bargaining power in a way acceptable to society
According to the test set out by the Supreme Court of Canada in Sagaz, what is the single-most
important question to answer to determine employment status?
Question options:
Whose business is it?
Who controls the direction of work?
Who is responsible for hiring and firing decisions?
Who pays for the tools used? - ANS ✔✔Whose business is it?
What is the purpose of distinguishing between independent and dependent contractors?
Question options:
To distinguish between types of contractors for tax purposes
To distinguish between types of contractors for the purposes of vicarious liability
To extend some benefits of the employment relationship to contractors who are economically
dependent and subordinate
To determine who has more seniority - ANS ✔✔To extend some benefits of the employment
relationship to contractors who are economically dependent and subordinate
Which of the following is the main reason that some question whether the legal distinction
between employees and contractors is appropriate?
Question options:
Because the line between the two is very blurry and hard to adjudicate
, Because contractors may be as vulnerable as a 'typical' employee
Because contractors are typically male and thus the distinction is viewed as discriminatory
Because both are paid for work done on behalf of the organization - ANS ✔✔Because
contractors may be as vulnerable as a 'typical' employee
Why have courts decided that the Charter applies to colleges but not to universities?
Question options:
The courts have decided that colleges do not charge as high tuition as universities and are thus
in receipt of much more public funding than are universities
The courts have decided that governments have far less direct control over the day-to-day
decision-making of universities than colleges
The courts have decided that the Charter does not apply to either colleges or universities
because they are not part of government
The courts have decided that the Charter does not apply to universities because Professors
already have Academic Freedom - ANS ✔✔The courts have decided that governments have far
less direct control over the day-to-day decision-making of universities than colleges
What was the initial reception to the potential impact the Charter would have on the law of
work?
Question options:
Commentators generally believed that it would fundamentally transform work for the benefit of
all workers
Commentators generally believed that it would make things worse for workers as employers
would use it to their benefit to erode rights already won
Commentators generally believed that the Charter would make little difference in the lives of
workers because unions and employers would mostly ignore it as it applied only to government
action
Commentators were generally mixed, with one camp believing that it would be transformative
and another believing that it would make little difference for workers or could even make things
worse for them - ANS ✔✔Commentators were generally mixed, with one camp believing that it
