An L-2 spouse is employment-authorized incident to status and does not need a separate employment authorization document to work, though many still obtain one for convenience with employers. Children on L-2 may study but not work.
The spouse's authorization is real, but the paperwork still matters
For a two-income Boischatel household, L-1A has a practical advantage over TN: the spouse's L-2 status carries employment authorization by operation of law. The spouse should still confirm which document a U.S. employer will accept as proof, since employers verify work eligibility from specific records and an admission stamp annotated for a spouse is what USCIS currently treats as evidence.
Hypothetical example: the spouse of a transferring production director is a licensed practical nurse in Québec; authorization to work does not license her to nurse in Maine, and state licensing is a separate process with its own timeline. Children under 21 may attend school and, if they turn 21 during the assignment, lose L-2 status regardless of the parent's remaining time. The whole family's status ends when the principal's does, so a plant closure or a move back should be discussed as part of the plan rather than left to chance.