Federal inspectors fined employers a record $1.54 million for violating migrant labor regulations last year, according to the Department of Employment. The department stated in a Sept. 27 statement that over 2,100 inspections were completed in the last fiscal year. Of the employers inspected, 94 percent were found to be compliant, while 6 percent were not compliant. There were a total of 116 non-compliant employers, with 94 companies receiving fines.
In addition to the fines, 23 employers were issued warnings and seven are now banned from using the program, some for up to five years. Minor violations of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations resulted in fines averaging under $10,000, while penalties for false statements or disregarding an inspector’s instructions reached a maximum of $258,000.
The Department of Employment received 5,465 tips last year alleging employer malfeasance. The number of temporary workers in the country was 204,700. The government emphasized its commitment to protecting temporary foreign workers and improving employer compliance.
Under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, spot inspections were not conducted by the government until 2017. A significant audit that year was followed by broader enforcement of the regulations. The auditor general’s report on the program revealed that most activities involved document reviews based on employers’ submissions by mail, with no on-site inspections or interviews conducted with temporary foreign workers.
Out of 173 on-site inspections conducted, only 13 were completed, and no interviews were conducted with migrant workers. Although fines for non-compliance were sanctioned in 2014, no employer had faced financial penalties. The auditors found flaws in the department’s approach to on-site inspections, as employers were always notified well in advance. The auditors stressed the importance of on-site inspections.