Workers alleged wage reductions, job duty changes, and threats of dismissal when they voiced concerns about their working conditions
The owner of a Canadian Tire store in Etobicoke has been fined $111,000 by the federal government for breaching the rules of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, according to a report.
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) determined that store owner Ezhil Natarajan, operating through Geethaezhil Inc., failed to provide wages, working conditions, or job duties as outlined in employment offers, reports CBC.
The company was also found to have assigned employees to different roles than those for which they were hired. As a result, Geethaezhil Inc. has been listed as “ineligible” for the TFW program due to the unpaid fine.
The employer came under the scrutiny of provincial and federal authorities following allegations of mistreatment and financial exploitation of employees hired under the foreign worker program.
At least 13 employees resigned or were terminated in late 2023, alleging wage reductions, job duty changes, and threats of dismissal when they voiced concerns about their working conditions, according to a previous The Globe and Mail report.
One worker, Rowell Pailan, claimed he was hired as a full-time store supervisor but his hourly wage was reduced from $20 to $16.50 after he started. Pailan said Natarajan threatened to terminate him if he discussed the pay cut with anyone, according to the CBC report.
Meanwhile, another former employee, Jhan Cresencio, reported being shouted at in a derogatory manner by Natarajan in 2023. Cresencio later obtained an open work permit through a federal program for TFWs who have experienced or are at risk of abuse.
Ontario’s Ministry of Labour has confirmed that an investigation into Natarajan is ongoing. Canadian Tire noted that each store is independently owned.
Previously, Ontario ordered Allison Jones Consulting Services and AJ Immigration Group to repay nearly $165,000 to temporary foreign workers after they were found to have unlawfully charged temporary foreign workers fees for job placements at a Canadian Tire store.
The federal government has previously temporarily and permanently banned some employers from accessing the TFWP because of different violations of the regulations of the program.
Here’s how employers stay compliant with the evolving rules of the TFWP, according to two experts.
