B.C. tribunal rules on 'low value' dispute over $51 work uniform

A company that took its former employee to B.C.'s small claims tribunal over a $51 unreturned uniform has lost its case.

A company that took its former employee to B.C.'s small claims tribunal over a $51 unreturned uniform has lost its case.

Simple Moves North Shore Movers Inc. took former employee Thomas Robert Cummings to the Civil Resolution Tribunal, the province's online tribunal for claims under $5,000, seeking $51.10 for the cost of replacing Cummings' uniform.

Filing a small claims case with the CRT typically costs at least $75. 

In response to the company's claim, Cummings told the tribunal the uniforms were in poor condition, and that the company's manager told him to keep his, rather than returning it.

Tribunal vice chair Andrea Ritchie ruled on the case in a brief decision published online Tuesday.

The decision calls attention to its own brevity early on, citing "this dispute's low value and limited evidence" as reasons for keeping the decision short.

According to the decision, Cummings was provided with two T-shirts and a sweatshirt during his employment.