Atlantic Employers’ Counsel – Fall 2013
CHANGES, CHANGES AND MORE CHANGES: KEEPING UP WITH THE TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKER PROGRAM
These days, Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (“TFWP”) is more top of mind than ever for Canadian employers. This is in part because of the many changes made by the Government of Canada to transform the TFWP over the last couple of years. It is also the result of two recent examples of employers bringing foreign workers to Canada that garnered significant media attention and got people talking and thinking about the role of Canada’s TFWP in an unprecedented manner.
10 THINGS EMPLOYERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EMPLOYING TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS
What will happen at your workplace if a serious incident or fatality occurs? Will your managers know how to respond?
1. Local Labour and Employment Laws apply to all workers
All the local employment laws that apply to Canadian employees also apply to temporary foreign workers. This includes laws relating to overtime pay, holiday pay, vacations, job protection during statutory leaves (including maternity and parental leave), human rights, workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety.
WHO CAN EMPLOYEES BRING WITH THEM?
The willingness of foreign workers to accept employment in Canada is often influenced by the opportunities available for their family members. Knowing who employees can bring with them and whether their family members will be able to work or study upon arrival can improve foreign worker recruitment, integration and retention strategies. With a few exceptions, employees coming to Canada to work temporarily or permanently can bring their spouse and dependent children.
LABOUR MARKET OPINION EXEMPT WORK PERMITS: WHAT YOUR ORGANIZATION NEEDS TO KNOW
Normally, in order to hire a foreign worker, an employer must apply to Service Canada for positive Labour Market Opinion (“LMO”) confirmation before the worker is eligible to apply for a Canadian work permit. This can be a burdensome task, especially given recent changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (“TFWP”) including the introduction of LMO processing fees and the increased advertising requirements. In addition, increased processing times across Canada mean that it can take upwards of four months to have an LMO processed.
Archive
Kevin Landry and Annelise Harnanan (summer student) In April 2021, the federal government introduced the draft Retail Payments Activities Act (“RPAA”) as part of Bill C-30, the Act to implement the 2021 federal budget. Under…
Read MoreChristopher Marr, TEP and Level Chan with the assistance of Annelise Harnanan (summer student) On May 20, 2021, the New Brunswick Financial and Consumer Services Commission (“FCNB”) released a revised version of one of its…
Read MoreJennifer Taylor and Bhreagh Ross The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal has overturned a decision that found a Charter right to testamentary freedom. Nova Scotia (Attorney General) v Lawen Estate¹ involved an appeal by…
Read MoreWe are pleased to introduce our new labour and employment podcast, Workplace Issues in Atlantic Canada: A Legal Perspective. In this series, our labour and employment lawyers across the region will discuss hot topics affecting…
Read MoreRick Dunlop and William Wojcik On May 12th, 2021, the Government of Nova Scotia announced in a news release that it is implementing a COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Program (“Program”) to support workers who must…
Read MoreBrendan Sheridan As Canada begins its economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, immigration is playing an important role. While much of the focus has been on increasing the skilled workforce to fill gaps in the…
Read MoreBrian Johnston, QC, Killian McParland and Bhreagh Ross On April 6, 2021, Stewart McKelvey was advised by the Federal Labour Program that the Labour Program’s Forward Regulatory Plan 2021–23 (“Plan”) is now available and includes details and timing on 21…
Read MoreMark Tector and Bhreagh Ross With vaccine rollout well underway across the country, employers should be aware of legislative changes that entitle employees to paid or unpaid time-off to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Here are…
Read MoreJennifer Taylor and Bhreagh Ross In the recent Reference re Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (“GGPPA Reference”), the judges of the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously agreed that climate change is real and dangerous.…
Read MoreWe are pleased to present the fifth installment of Beyond the border, a publication aimed at providing the latest information to clients about new programs and other immigration-related information that may be pertinent to employers of…
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