Most producers hire case and crew on a non-employee basis. You don’t have to have a contract but generally you should always have a contract for everyone involved. It is good practice for the future, if you should ever venture into paid projects. It may be different if you’re producing the work for a school project – the school will usually have its own policies regarding that. Unpaid team members may fall into either a volunteer or unpaid worker (depending on if they’re a co-op student, a trainee, or participating in a post-secondary approved program – see more at: Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act).
But even then, you should always comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Always let the project members know if there are any potential workplace hazards and remember they always have the right to refuse unsafe work.
If they are considered a worker, then you also need to provide basic occupational health and safety awareness training (see Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act).
The training must include: the duties and rights of workers, employers, and supervisors, the roles of health and safety representatives, the roles of the Ministry, common workplace hazards, and any occupational illnesses.
Relevant acts:
Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act
Occupational Health and Safety Act
The Queen’s Film & TV Research Group are not lawyers, and this is not legal advice! For more information on labour and employment law, please see the Labour & Employment Law section of this site. Find out more about Queen’s Law on their website, and Pro Bono Queen’s at the PBSC Queen’s site.