GoodLife settles class action suit brought by employees
The London Free Press spoke to Josh Mandryk today about the settlement in the GoodLife class action.
[Mandryk] said the settlement sends a message of “behaviour modification” for major employers, obliging them to treat their employees fairly if they want to maintain a positive public image.Mandryk said it’s also a big financial boost for the GoodLife workers. The settlement covers about 22,000 current and former workers in clubs across Canada, dating back to Oct. 2014. Mandryk estimates a personal trainer who worked during the entire period covered by the settlement would receive about $2,500.
“This is precarious work in a tough industry. These are not high-paid folks. Getting a cheque for hundreds or even thousand of dollars will make big difference for them,” he said.
Mandryk said GoodLife deserves credit for making significant changes to its payment policies and practices even before the settlement was reached, addressing the grievances in the lawsuits.
That included scheduled paid time for selling services to new members, removing the clawback of their commission, and payment for preparation and administration time.
“That’s really what made the settlement possible. As these change came along . . . a lot of the claim became historical, it wasn’t for ongoing damages,” Mandryk said.
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Mandryk said it took a lot of courage for GoodLife staff, especially current employees, to join the class action and provide information.
“We had hundreds registered on our class action database. These are non-unionized workers stepping forward and putting themselves on the line,” he said.
CBC’s The Morning Brief also reported on the class action settlement. You can read that article here.