Legal Definitions - casual employment

Casual employment refers to a working arrangement where an individual is hired on an as-needed or intermittent basis, without a fixed schedule or guaranteed hours. This type of employment is characterized by its irregular and often unpredictable nature. In a casual employment relationship, the employer is typically not obligated to offer work, and the employee is generally not obligated to accept it. Casual employees often do not receive the same benefits as permanent employees, such as paid vacation, sick leave, or health insurance, and their employment can usually be terminated with little notice.

Here are some examples to illustrate casual employment:

• Imagine a university student who works at a local bookstore during peak seasons, such as the back-to-school rush or the winter holidays. The bookstore manager calls them when extra help is needed to stock shelves or assist customers, and the student can choose whether or not to take the shifts offered. They do not have a set number of hours each week or a regular schedule.

  This illustrates casual employment because the student's work is entirely dependent on the bookstore's fluctuating needs, they have no guaranteed hours, and there is no ongoing obligation for either party beyond the specific shifts accepted.

• Consider a retired graphic designer who occasionally takes on short-term projects for various marketing agencies. They might design a logo for one agency this month and create a brochure for another next month, billing for each project individually. They do not have a continuous employment contract with any single agency and are free to accept or decline projects as they wish.

  This demonstrates casual employment as the designer's work is project-based and intermittent, without a regular employer-employee relationship or guaranteed future assignments from any one source.

• Think of an individual who works as an usher for a concert venue. They are contacted by the venue management a few days before specific events (concerts, plays, sporting events) to see if they are available to work. Their hours vary significantly from week to week, depending on the number and type of events scheduled, and they are paid only for the hours they work at each event.

  This is an example of casual employment because the work is tied directly to specific events, the schedule is irregular and unpredictable, and there is no expectation of continuous employment or a fixed income.