Ontario inspecting retail sector to ensure fair worker compensation

Inspectors to review compliance with minimum wage, overtime, holiday pay

Ontario is launching a province-wide employment standards retail inspection blitz this fall to protect retail workers’ rights and promote fairness in the workplace.

Ministry of Labour (MOL) inspectors are visiting retailers — such as grocery stores, gas stations and shopping malls — between October and December to make sure workplace rights are being protected in areas including public holiday pay, overtime pay, hours of work, and vacation pay.

An MOL inspector has the right to inspect books and records during normal business hours in order to determine compliance with the Employment Standards Act.

Ontario has also invested an additional $3 million in 2013 to double the number of inspectors and double the number of businesses inspected to make sure workers are safe and treated fairly.

In the 2011-12 blitz, the top five type of employment standards violations discovered during targeted inspections were:

  • overtime pay
  • minimum wage
  • unpaid wages
  • vacation pay
  • public holidays.

Since 2004, Ontario’s Employment Standards Program has recovered more than $100 million in wages and other monies owed to employees through inspections, claims and collections.

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