Ontario to Tighten Rules for Temp Agencies, Firms that Recruit Foreign Workers
"The Ontario government is set toĀ bring in the province's strictest-ever rules forĀ companies that recruit temporary workers, including a system for shutting down temp agencies that exploit staff. ... Senior officials with the Ministry of Labour say the plans include mandatory licensing for temporary help agencies, giving the province the power toĀ stopĀ firmsĀ from operatingĀ if they violate employment standards. The government will also create a dedicated team of inspectors to root out illegal treatment of workers and recover unpaid wages. The announcement ... will be the first in a series of employment-related measures from the Ford government. Minister of Labour, Training and Skills DevelopmentĀ Monte McNaughton describes the moves as 'rebalancing the scales' between vulnerable workers and bigĀ business."
"More than 2,000 temporary help agencies in Ontario place hundreds of thousands of workers inĀ seasonal and short-term employment each year, in sectors ranging from tourism to office work to agriculture. Some temp firms āĀ including some who recruit temporary foreign workers ā have been caught failing to comply with Ontario employment law on paying workersĀ minimum wage, overtime and vacation pay. In a Ministry of Labour enforcement campaign in 2020-21 concentrating on temp agencies supplying workers to retirement homes, farms, food processing plants and warehouses, inspectors found evidence ofĀ $3.3 million in unpaid wages."
"The measures to be unveiled by McNaughton on Monday include:
new penalties on temp firmsĀ that violate basic safety and employment standards;
new powers to force companies to repay illegal recruitment fees, including a requirement that they post a security bond;
a new vetting process that all temporary help agencies must go through before the provinceĀ issuesĀ a licence to operate."
CBC News, October 18, 2021: "Ontario to tighten rules for temp agencies, firms that recruit foreign workers," by Mike Crawley
Unifor, October 18, 2021: Good start on temporary workers but more needed
Unifor, January 28, 2021: Letter to Temporary Help Agency Consultations re: Improving Compliance with the Employment Standards Act in the Temporary Help Sector, by Naureen Rizvi (4 pages, PDF)
Toronto Star, September 8, 2017: "Undercover in Temp Nation," by Sara Mojtehedzadeh and Brendan Kennedy
Photo Source: Mossholder, T. (2021). Strawberry Picking [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/Kx060cRsmt0