You Are an Independent Operator

As a RECOMMENDer, you are an independent operator. You are not an employee of RECOMMENDii. You are not a contractor hired by RECOMMENDii to do a job. You are a self-directed individual who has chosen to use the RECOMMENDii platform to host your personal endorsements and track the connections you make.

Think of it this way. RECOMMENDii is a platform, the same way a website hosting company is a platform. You put your business on their servers, they keep it running, and you pay for that service. RECOMMENDii does the same thing for your endorsements. We host them, we make them searchable, and we handle the payment processing. The endorsements themselves are yours. The relationships are yours. The decisions are yours.

RECOMMENDii is not your employer. This means:

• We do not tell you who to endorse or when.
• We do not set your hours, your goals, or your schedule.
• We do not supervise your work or give you performance reviews.
• We do not provide you with equipment, uniforms, or supplies.
• We do not deduct income tax, CPP contributions, or Employment Insurance from your earnings.
• We do not offer you benefits, vacation pay, or minimum wage protections.
• We cannot discipline you or fire you the way an employer fires an employee.

You are free to endorse as many or as few businesses as you choose. You are free to stop using the platform at any time. You are free to use other platforms, run other businesses, or earn income in any other way you like.

When a business you endorse activates or renews their connection on RECOMMENDii, they pay a flat fee directly to RECOMMENDii. That fee is payment for the hosting, platform, and connection services RECOMMENDii provides. A portion of that fee is then paid out to you as a RECOMMENDer.

RECOMMENDii does not pay you wages. What flows to you is a share of the platform revenue generated by your endorsements. It is more like a referral fee or a revenue share than a paycheque. The percentage you receive goes up as you build more active endorsements, following the tier structure shown on the About page.

You are responsible for your own taxes. Because you are not an employee, RECOMMENDii does not withhold or remit income tax on your behalf. Any money you receive through RECOMMENDii is income you are responsible for reporting to the Canada Revenue Agency. If you are unsure how to do this, please speak with an accountant.

In Ontario, the law takes worker classification seriously. Courts and tribunals look at the actual nature of a working relationship, not just what a contract says. The factors they look at include who controls the work, who owns the tools, whether the person can work for others, and whether the person takes on their own financial risk.

The RECOMMENDer relationship is structured to reflect genuine independence on all of those factors:

• You control the work. RECOMMENDii does not direct you on who to endorse, how many to endorse, or when to do it. Those decisions are entirely yours.
• You own your own tools. You use your own phone, computer, and internet connection. RECOMMENDii provides a platform, not equipment.
• You can work for others. You are not exclusive to RECOMMENDii. You are free to earn income through any other means.
• You take on your own financial risk. RECOMMENDii does not guarantee you any minimum income. What you earn depends entirely on the endorsements you choose to build.
• You are not integrated into our business. Your endorsements are your own. You are not part of RECOMMENDii's team, and we do not present you to the public as our employee or representative.

Ontario's Employment Standards Act, 2000 and related labour legislation do not apply to genuine independent contractors. Because RECOMMENDii does not control how you work, does not provide your tools, and does not make you economically dependent on us as your only source of income, the RECOMMENDer relationship is intended to function as an independent operator arrangement, not an employment relationship.

One important note: Ontario courts have also recognised a category called a dependent contractor. This applies to people who technically run their own business but rely on a single company for most of their income. We encourage you to build a diverse range of income sources and endorsements. Relying entirely on RECOMMENDii as your only source of income is not something we recommend, and it could affect how your relationship with us is viewed legally.

Ontario passed the Digital Platform Workers' Rights Act, 2022, which came into force on July 1, 2025. This law provides certain protections for gig workers who perform ride share, delivery, and courier services through digital platforms.

RECOMMENDii is a referral and endorsement platform. We are not a ride share, delivery, or courier service. As of the date of this page, the Digital Platform Workers' Rights Act does not apply to the RECOMMENDer relationship with RECOMMENDii. If the law expands its scope to cover other types of digital platform work in the future, we will update this page accordingly.

Because you are operating independently, certain things are your responsibility:

• Your taxes. Report your RECOMMENDii income to the CRA. Depending on how much you earn, you may need to remit both the employer and employee portions of CPP contributions. An accountant can help you understand your obligations.
• Your endorsements. You choose who you endorse. RECOMMENDii is not responsible for the businesses you recommend. Stand behind the ones you genuinely believe in.
• Your conduct. You agree to use the platform honestly and in good faith. Endorsing businesses you have not actually dealt with, or misleading the people who trust your recommendations, is not acceptable and may result in your access to the platform being removed.
• Your own legal and financial advice. If you have questions about your tax obligations, your business structure, or your legal status, please get advice from a qualified professional. RECOMMENDii cannot give you that advice.