Workers’ rights in Canada Esthetebanati Institute

What is the average salary for workers in Canada?

According to reports and statistics obtained from 2007 until today, the wages and salaries of workers in Canada have increased by about 24%. In 2022, the average salary for public sector workers in Canada is estimated to be around $29,000 per year, which is approximately $15 per hour. Workers without work experience in this country earn about $26,000 per year, and workers with experience and higher work experience earn about $35,000 per year. Labor rights in Canada are different in different cities of this country.

What are the employment laws in Canada?

In order to protect the rights of workers in Canada against employers, the federal government of Canada has codified laws under the Employment Standards Act in order to maintain the safety of workers in Canada. Employment laws vary from province to province in Canada, and each province has its own regulations regarding workers. Employment laws in Canada change every 6 months, so workers employed in Canada should be informed about these laws on an ongoing basis.

Workers’ rights in Canada and employment laws in this country

According to these laws, employers must treat workers properly, and if the employer mistreats the worker based on things such as age, race, gender, religion, or lack of ability, the worker will have the right to protest. In the employment laws, the safety issues protect the workers against unsafe and dangerous machines and work. It also supervises the wages and salaries of workers in Canada on holidays. Employers are required to include income tax and mandatory rights and benefits such as unemployment and disability insurance for workers and apply them to their official salaries.

The laws governing child labor strictly monitor the types of work that are given to them as well as the working hours of children. According to employment laws in Canada, employers are allowed to hire people under the age of 17 for various jobs such as maintenance, factory work, transportation, and service company work. Canada’s employment laws include a series of conditions for employing teenagers under the age of 17, which are as follows:

• The employer shall not employ a person under the age of 17 to work in mining and underground jobs.
• A person under the age of 17 is not required to go to school.
• The employer hires a person under the age of 17 in accordance with the official employment rules for the relevant job.

Compliance with employment laws and labor rights in Canada is so important that even people who plan to start a family business must comply with all employment laws regarding their family members. People who have just entered Canada and are unaware of these rules, there is nothing to worry about. After entering Canada, a complete guide to work and employment laws will be provided to these people.

Workers’ rights in Canada Unemployment rate in this country

One of the factors that show the level of a country’s economy is the unemployment and inflation rate of that country. Canada has many job opportunities and people with different specializations can work in their field. Canada set a world record by announcing an unemployment rate of 5.5% in February 2022, because after the spread of Corona, all countries have faced an increase in the unemployment rate. Meanwhile, Canada, which had an unemployment rate of 5.7% before the start of the corona virus epidemic, is now experiencing an unemployment rate of 5.5%. One of the reasons that caused the unemployment rate to decrease in Canada in the past months is that the government of this country has created many job opportunities during the last year. For example, in February 2022, 337,000 jobs were created in Canada, which caused the unemployment rate to decrease by 1%. Below is a table that shows the unemployment rate in different months of 2022.

Minimum wage for workers in Canada

The amount of the minimum labor salary in Canada in each province of this country is determined according to the laws of that province and is different according to the conditions of each state. Canada’s government laws are effective in determining the minimum wages of workers, and based on these regulations, the rights of individuals are determined. Factors such as having a disability, age, telecommuting, housework, etc. are some of the factors that influence the determination of labor rights in Canada. The minimum hourly wages of workers in 2022 in different Canadian provinces are as described in the following table:

The highest and lowest salaries of workers in Canada in different occupations

According to the reports obtained from the wages and salaries of workers in Canada, the highest income belongs to the workers who are active in the mining and oil and gas production sectors. In the next category, industries and public service sectors such as water, electricity and gas have the highest income. The lowest wages are related to workers in the service areas of accommodation, food and beverages, as well as retailers. Here are some of the lowest paying jobs in Canada based on a list compiled in 2018:

Some of the highest paying jobs in Canada for simple workers are also in the table below:

Workers in provinces such as Quebec and eastern Canadian provinces including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island had the lowest wages in Canada, which amounted to $19.2 an hour in 2017.

Workers’ rights in Canada and non-discrimination of race, religion and gender

In Canada, workers will not face any racial, gender, religious, etc. discrimination. Canada’s labor and employment laws are such that no distinction is made between men and women at work, and the only thing that matters is doing the right thing. If a woman is placed in a work position and performs all the tasks that men do in that job category according to the opinion of the employer, she will receive the same salary and wages as men. According to the labor law and labor rights in Canada, people’s personal opinions and beliefs have nothing to do with their work, and they are not asked questions about this. In Canada, every person with any religion and belief will be free and people can work and live together without restrictions.

People in this country are not racially superior to each other, and employers do not misbehave with immigrant workers. Since Canada is an immigrant-friendly country, employers do not treat workers badly, and the criteria for the superiority of people is only their work experience and working properly. In all occupations, immigrants can compete with native Canadians without discrimination, and labor rights are fully respected in Canada, except in politically motivated occupations that are prohibited to non-Canadians. The type of clothing does not prevent women from working in Canada, and women with hijab can work in this country without restrictions. Employers cannot mistreat or discriminate against women because of their clothing, because they will be dealt with legally.

What are the most in-demand Canadian cities for workers?

Workers who plan to immigrate to Canada for work should find cities that need more workers before committing to any job. People should know which provinces and cities in this country have more job opportunities so that they can find their suitable job more easily. The higher the economic growth in a region, the lower the unemployment rate and the more job opportunities there are. Workers can work in any province of Canada if they have a work permit. But the best states and cities in Canada in terms of job opportunities for workers are: Quebec City, Kingston, Moncton, Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver. Workers receive the highest wages in Edmonton and the lowest in Halifax. Compared to other Canadian provinces, there are fewer job opportunities in states such as Atlantic, Prince Edward Island, Labrador and Newfoundland, because the unemployment rate is higher in these provinces.

Workers’ rights in Canada and required skills

In Canada, in addition to having expertise in the desired job, workers must also have a series of skills. One of these skills is familiarity with the language. What language the workers are fluent in depends on the area they work in and also what language the people around them speak. In fact, workers must be familiar with one of two languages, English and French, but if they work in a state like Quebec, they must learn French. It should be noted that workers must provide a language certificate to work in Canada, and the level of this certificate depends on their job. In order to prove their ability to perform the proposed job, people must have an interview with the Immigration Department officer, which can be omitted by presenting a language certificate. The immigration officer will waive the interview after seeing the language certificate of the applicants and making sure of their speaking skills.

Other skills required by workers to work in Canada include the ability to work with computers. Some employers need a worker who knows how to work with computers to do their work. Therefore, having this skill will greatly help workers in finding job opportunities.

Job opportunities for workers in Canada

In Canada, due to the progress of economy and technology, the economic situation of this country is also improving day by day. Therefore, there are many job opportunities, and one of the main reasons for the migration of people from all over the world to this country is these job positions. Due to the progress of the industry and the digitalization of this country’s industries, jobs such as designing computer systems have grown by 50% in recent years, which has increased job opportunities in Canada.

Private and public sector companies in Canada need unskilled workers in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors. To fill the demand and supply gap in the labor market, the Canadian government needs to hire foreign workers. Various companies in the fields of agriculture, harvesting, packing, fruit picking, etc. are looking for foreign workers to employ them in these job positions. Workers can work in different job titles and in many Canadian cities. Interested candidates can refer to Canadian employment agencies, because these centers offer the best job opportunities for foreign workers. Currently, there are about 550,000 job opportunities in Canada that require workers to fill these job positions.

Labor rights in Canada and work immigration

Workers can immigrate to this country to work in Canada, and as said, the work situation in this country is favorable and there are many job opportunities. But now the question arises, what should workers do to immigrate to Canada? Applicants can apply for work immigration to this country through the Express Entry immigration program. In this way, people register in this system and enter their specifications and skills in it, and this program gives them points based on the conditions and skill level of the workers. If people can get the highest score in the Express Entry system, they will be issued a job invitation by the Canadian employer. After receiving the invitation, people can get Canadian residency and immigrate to this country. The important point here is that Canadian employers must prove to the Canadian government that they have not found a workforce in Canada and are forced to recruit foreign workers. Because if there are native workers in Canada, Canadian employers will not be allowed to hire foreign workers.

Job duties of workers in Canada

If the job duties are the same between men and women, people should receive the same salary. Generally, workers are paid for the amount of work they do, and workers’ salaries in Canada depend on factors such as the difficulty of the work. Workers in Canada have different job duties. Although the industry has made great progress in this country and machines and robots have replaced humans in many tasks, there are still tasks that humans must do. Workers have tasks ranging from subtle to complex. These duties in industries include:

• Product packaging
• Movement of goods
• Doing fine work on goods
• Separating excess and waste materials from products

Workers insurance in Canada

Employment Insurance in Canada is included in the labor law of this country and is considered one of the main issues in hiring workers. During their working period, workers pay a monthly amount as an insurance premium that they can take advantage of when they are unable to work or retire. The employer deducts the insurance premium from the workers’ salaries in Canada on a monthly basis and pays a monthly amount as an insurance premium for his workforce. After reaching the retirement period, due to the payment of monthly insurance, retirement pension is awarded to people.

By paying insurance premiums, people can use insurance benefits when they are unemployed, which is called unemployment insurance. Some of the conditions that workers must meet to receive unemployment insurance are as follows:

• People who have lost their jobs against their will and have been fired or retrenched.
• People who have lost their jobs due to unforeseen events such as floods and fires.
• People have been without pay and unemployed for at least seven consecutive days in the last 52 weeks.

In addition to unemployment insurance, there is another type of insurance that covers people with special conditions. For example, allowances are considered for pregnant workers, sick workers or workers who take care of the sick at home.

Labor holidays in Canada

In Canada, weekly holidays are on Saturday and Sunday, and workers work from Monday to Friday. In some jobs, people may have to come to work on holidays. In this case, other days of the week are considered as holidays for them, or they should receive 1.5 to 2 times their salary for working on holidays. Canada has 9 official holidays, which are paid holidays, and workers’ salaries in Canada are paid on these holidays. Canada’s public holidays include: Family Day, Good Friday, New Year’s Day, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Thanksgiving Day, Boxing Day, Christmas Day and Labor Day.

In Canadian labor law, there are no religious holidays on public holidays, and workers are not allowed to refuse to work on their religious occasions. However, if an employer fires or reprimands an employee for not being at work due to religious events, the employee has the right to complain to the Human Rights Commission. There are also some holidays that differ from province to province and are determined separately according to the laws of each province. Workers’ salaries in Canada are also paid during these holidays.

Working hours of workers in Canada

Workers in Canada are required to work 8 hours a day, which amounts to 40 hours a week. However, depending on the job that people have and also according to the opinion of the employer, workers may have to work more hours. In some manufacturing industries, workers must work 50 hours a week. Of course, for the extra hours that people are at work, overtime pay is paid, which is usually one and a half times the salary received by people. It should be noted that as the job status of people increases, the number of working hours also increases.

Due to the time difference in different Canadian states, employees can have flexible working hours because they need to be able to adjust their time with other states. For example, in order to establish communication between the two cities of Vancouver and Montreal, people should contact each other in such a way that they are at work at that time. In order to implement flexible working hours, employees must be present at their workplace during certain hours, for example, from 10 am to 12 noon and also from 2 to 4 pm.

Overtime and workers’ compensation in Canada

If the worker works more than the designated hours, he will be awarded overtime, which is usually one and a half times the salary of one hour. Overtime applies to both salaried employees and hourly workers. Some occupations are exempt from receiving overtime, such as professionals such as dentists, lawyers, doctors, as well as managerial occupations such as supervisors and managers.

Paid leave for workers in Canada

All workers and employees in Canada have at least two weeks of paid vacation per year, and this is considered one of the rights of workers in Canada. If people have not used their vacations until the day of leaving work, they can receive the equivalent amount. Usually, in order to use leave, it is necessary to coordinate with the management in advance and obtain the manager’s or supervisor’s approval. Workers in Canada can take a variety of holidays as stipulated in the Labor Act. Among these leaves, we can mention sick leave, emergency leave, pregnancy leave, and leave to raise and take care of children. These holidays are considered labor rights in Canada and workers have the right to use these holidays during their working period according to the law.

In European countries, the amount of leave is about four to six weeks during the year, while Canada’s leave is less. For example, in France, the average leave is 26 days per year, and in Germany, this amount is more and it is 30 days per year. Regarding Canadian teachers, we must say that during the Easter and summer vacations, teachers do not receive salaries, and for this reason, they must teach during the summer to compensate for this deficit.

People have different rights to use leave according to their profession, job position, and also depending on the respective employer. That is, some employers may include more holidays and others less. For example, some employers offer better vacation plans to people based on their work history and length of employment. Normally, managers will have more days off than other people. Workers and employees can use all their vacations in the same year, but if they want, they have the possibility to save and use the rest of their vacations for the next year. Of course, this issue depends on the opinion of the employer, and if they allow their workers to do this, they can take advantage of this privilege.