Beginning in May 2015, the Ontario Ministry of Labour will begin a province-wide employment standards workplace inspection blitz targeting the janitorial, security, business services, fitness and recreation centres, amusement, and recreation sectors. The Ministry of Labour has labeled the blitz’s focus as “precarious employment”, likely due to the high occurrence of part-time and other atypical forms of employment in these sectors. This blitz follows the release of the Ministry of Labour’s results on its vulnerable and temporary foreign workers employment standards blitz last fall.  Those inspections found 171 non-compliant employers, recovering over $175,000 for 1,406 employees.  As is typical, the most common violations included non-compliance with the public holiday pay, vacation pay, and overtime pay requirements of the ESA.

Employers should keep in mind that part-time employees are protected under the ESA.  As such, they are entitled to minimum wages (currently at $11 per hour in Ontario, but soon to increase), vacation pay, public holiday pay, and overtime pay. These employees will also have rights upon termination, including under both the ESA and to sue for wrongful dismissal at common law.

Any employer found to be non-compliant with the ESA can face a compliance order, an order to pay, a ticket with a fine, a notice of contravention, or prosecution. These penalties can bring significant financial consequences. In 2012, a Mississauga operator of 25 fitness clubs was fined $100,000 for violating the wage provisions of the ESA.  In addition, with the amendments brought by Bill 18 now in effect, wage claims may grow, as there is no longer a monetary cap on the wage amount that the Ministry of Labour can order an employer to pay per employee.

In addition to the sectors targeted by this blitz, employers across the province may face stricter regulations and increased enforcement, as the Ontario government undertakes a formal review of both the ESA and the Ontario Labour Relations Act to address the rise of precarious employment.

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