Southeast Newcomer Services wants to make sure everyone knows their rights on the job. The organization’s Oct. 7 information evening at the Days Inn brought in a small, but highly engaged crowd, for two sessions — one relating to newcomer rights, and the other focused on employment standards for newcomers and temporary foreign workers.
“The overall aim was to empower individuals with knowledge they need to know about their rights,” said Jaldair Roye, information services advisor with Southeast Newcomer Services. “That way, they are better able to protect themselves.”
Southeast Newcomer services hosted two representatives from the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety to inform guests on a number of subjects relating to employment. Subjects included many matters related to wages, such as pay, the rules governing overtime pay, vacation time, deductions and rules for the number of hours worked per week.
Job protection and security were mainstays in the conversation between guests and representatives as well. In the second session of the evening, a recurrent topic was that of enforcement and complaints, in the event that workers’ rights are violated, and the potential hazards and concerns that can be encountered if an employee does make complaint about an employer.
Representatives provided guests with strategies on how to protect themselves from workplace law violations and what to do in the event of such a scenario. They also explained how the Program Integrity and Legislation Unit reviews complaints, and what action is taken to rectify the problems outlined in those complaints.
Roye noted that information sessions like the ones that took place on Wednesday are necessary because legislation relating to the workplace often changes when it’s updated, and that information needs to be disseminated to those whom it affects.
“The Program Integrity Legislation Unit was just formed in 2013. It’s always a learning process with them. They’re making different changes. They’ll always need to update things when something stops working, and improve where they can do better,” said Roye. “We also have these presentations to get feedback from individuals, to better be able to make necessary changes in terms of services we can offer newcomers.”
Guests at the event were very inquisitive about employment rights, and both sessions elicted a lot of questions from guests. Questions related, in many cases, to pay and shifts, including questions about when overtime is owed, and when vacation time can be used. One guest started a thorough conversation on how closely to a job description an employee’s work needs to be, before it is considered moving positions.
“That was definitely a good thing. We don’t want people just to go and listen. Everyone can relate to this. You want to know, so you can protect yourself and others,” said Roye. “Once you know, you can advise your family members and friends. You can’t be too educated, and too informed in knowing how things should be in the workplace.”
