Ontario says it's coming for 'scumbag' temp help agencies mistreating workers
CTV
Ontario will require temporary help agencies and recruiters to have a licence in order to operate in the province starting next year.
Ontario will require temporary help agencies and recruiters to have a licence in order to operate in the province starting next year.
These agencies will need to undergo a background check and will be subject to “massive fines” if they break the rules.
“It’ll be the highest fines in the country,” Labour Minister Monte McNaughton told CTV News Toronto, noting that depending on the infraction the agency could be asked to pay up to $50,000 or could receive “a lifetime ban of operating in Ontario.”
“I’ve made it a mission to ensure that every single worker in our province, regardless of passport status, has health and safety protections,” the minister said.
“I’ve brought in massive fines for any scumbag out there that is withholding passports or work visa documents and I’ve gone even further. We’ve created in my ministry a special team that is investigating temp help agencies that aren’t treating workers the way they should be treated.”
McNaughton noted that these agencies helped about 114,000 people find full-time employment in 2022. This includes a wide variety of industries and employees, including migrant and foreign workers.
However, the government cited inspections that found a number of “bad actors” who were illegally paying workers less than minimum wage and denying basic employment rights.
