Feds stepping up inspections of foreign worker job sites following audit
by The Canadian Press
The changes are part of a series of actions taken to address a raft of oversight problems. Those caught breaking the rules involved in hiring temporary foreign workers face fines and a ban on accessing the program
OTTAWA—The federal government is stepping up its inspections of employers who use temporary foreign workers and has published an online list of those caught breaking the rules.
The changes are part of a series of actions taken to address a raft of oversight problems involving the controversial temporary foreign worker program flagged last year by auditor general Michael Ferguson.
In a response to the federal public accounts committee, which produced its own recommendations, Labour Minister Patty Hajdu outlines the steps taken to ensure Canadian citizens and residents are always first in line for available jobs before employers resort to hiring foreign workers.
The corrective measures include an increase in the number of on-site inspections of companies and sectors where temporary foreign workers are believed to be most vulnerable.
The department has also streamlined its processes to allow integrity officers to more quickly suspend employers found to be in non-compliance with rules of the program.
A public list of all companies and employers who have been suspended has been posted online, showing the names and actions taken against the more than 60 found to date to be non-compliant. Penalties include fines and a ban on accessing the program.
