Yes. An L-2 spouse is employment-authorized incident to status and may work for any employer once admitted, without a separate work permit. He is not restricted to the joint venture or to hospitality. Children in L-2 status may study but not work.
L-2 spouses may work anywhere; L-2 children may not work
The distinction between TD and L-2 is decisive for a two-career household. Because USCIS treats L-2 spouses as employment-authorized incident to status, the chef's lawful admission in L-2 status is itself his authorization to work, and his admission record annotated for L-2 spouses serves as evidence for an employer's verification; he may obtain an employment-authorization document for convenience but does not need one. He may work in a restaurant unrelated to the spa venture or at the American partner's hotel.
His authorization lasts only as long as his L-2 status, so if the manager's L-1A ends or the venture fails, his right to work ends with it. Children admitted in L-2 status may attend school but cannot work, and their status ends at twenty-one or on marriage. A Harrison Hot Springs family should keep each member's passport, admission record and, if obtained, employment-authorization document together, and should remember that the husband cannot remain in L-2 status if the principal returns to Canada.