Banning Unpaid Trial Shifts in Ontario: Employment Law Insights on CTV News

Interview Summary

The Ontario provincial government announced several possible changes to be made to the Employment Standards Act. These changes would range in protections for restaurant and hospitality workers from wage deductions, unpaid trial shifts, and a potential new job-protected critical illness leave. Will this new legislation impact the workplace significantly? How will employers be forced to implement these new regulations?

Alex Lucifero, an Ottawa employment lawyer and Managing Partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP joined CTV News Ottawa with Matt Skube to answer these questions and more on employee rights.

Interview Notes

• Unpaid trial shifts in the restaurant industry: Restaurants and other hospitality-focused businesses are typically composed of vulnerable demographics, such as immigrants, students, etc. This legislation would strengthen already present employment laws banning unpaid work and trial shifts.
• Deducting wages from employees: For some restaurants, it was common practice to deduct wages from a server or other member of wait staff in the event of a dine and dash, damaged equipment, or a customer’s refusal to pay. This practice was a violation of employment laws as employers cannot deduct an employee’s wages for simple errors or mistakes at the workplace.
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