Changes impact employers, recruiters
The Employment Standards Act, 2000 will be amended to allow individuals who are hired through a temporary help agency to recover unpaid wages from both the agency and the agency's client-business, where the agency has not paid the wages.
Originally businesses using temporary help agencies in Ontario — largest agency sector in Canada — did not have liability for unpaid regular wages, overtime, public holidays, and premium pay.
To help strengthen protections for foreign workers, coverage under the Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act, 2009 is being extended to foreign nationals who are employed or seeking employment in Ontario through an immigration or foreign temporary employee program. The act used to apply only to foreign live-in caregivers, their employers, and recruiters. Chan