An employee is the most valuable asset of a Painting Company

Some painting companies prefer to use independent subcontractors, instead of hiring employees. This can be a very successful and legitimate way to run a contracting business.
The reality though seems to be quite different.  The majority of small painting contractors use and treat painters as employees and pay them as subs.
The reasons are many and the motives questionable:

• To avoid paying payroll taxes
• There is no need for employee benefits
• No paid vacation or vacation time
• Statutory Holiday pay, are you kidding me?
• An independent subcontractor does not have to pay for WSIB
• No safety training  or any type of training is necessary
• There is work today, none tomorrow, so who cares, there is no obligation, right?

There are many more reasons but in reality, these painters are really employees, paid hourly wages. The problem is that they are seriously short changed. After missing many days with no work, getting no vacation pay,  getting no statutory holiday pay, paying taxes and insurance (hopefully), working for the local donut shop may make more financial sense.
With the “disposable painter” syndrome, comes the lack of job security and unsafe working conditions. The  low morale created and downgrading of this great profession lends credence to the stereotypes we painters face daily.
Consumers here need to be more aware of who they are hiring. This seemingly great painting company they found in Google, is likely using underground economy type of tactics.

Ecopainting Inc. is one of the very few Toronto Painting Contractors that only uses it’s own employees. All employees are on payroll, get trade and safety training and have WSIB coverage.