Expert Analysis

Beyond the label: Ontario Court of Appeal clarifies when a founder is an employee

By Michael Horvat, Bardia Jalayer and Blair Tinkham ( August 25, 2026, 9:27 AM EDT) -- A founder. A shareholder. A contractor. An employee. In Pringle v. Zenova Group PLC, 2026 ONCA 549, the Ontario Court of Appeal confirmed that these labels are not mutually exclusive and that worker classification turns on the substance of the service relationship, not how the parties choose to describe it, even when they execute the contract....