The B.C. government is reviewing the licence for the labour company whose employees were allegedly caught punching, kicking and otherwise abusing live chickens in the Fraser Valley.

A spokesperson for the Employment Standards Branch said in light of the shocking allegations against workers at Elite Farm Services Ltd., the agency decided to ensure the company is meeting the requirements of its contractor licence.

None of those requirements involve the humane treatment of animals, however. Part of the ESB's mandate involves fair payment, reasonable working hours and safe transportation of employees.

Still, Rebeka Breder, a lawyer who specializes in animal law, said the development is encouraging.

"It's definitely a step in the right direction," Breder said. "It shows us that the government is taking this animal abuse very seriously."

In abuse cases such as these, poor conditions for workers can have a direct correlation to the treatment of animals, Breder added.

"This is a complex issue," she said. "It's really a mix of factors, and each of them contributes to the way animals ended up being abused."

While the government deserves credit for responding to the allegations against Elite Farm Services, Breder believes it could be much more proactive by introducing new legislation designed to protect the welfare of animals raised for human consumption.

"Right now much of it is only done by way of guidelines, guidelines that are not law, that are not enforceable," she said.

The scrutiny for Elite Farm Services began earlier this month when Mercy for Animals released hidden camera video, filmed over the course of about one month beginning in early May, that exposed the appalling abuse of chickens at various B.C. farms.

In one of the most troubling incidents, a man was recorded pulling the legs off a live chicken.

Since the video was released, Elite Farm Services has fired several employees, including one supervisor. The company also promised to conduct an internal investigation, and to start requiring some workers to wear body-mounted cameras for oversight.

The company did not respond to a request for comment from CTV News Wednesday.

With files from CTV Vancouver's Scott Roberts