The Ministry of Labour has announced that it will conduct an employment standards focused blitz in the retail services sector from October to December 2013. Ministry Inspectors will be targeting a variety of retail businesses, including gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores, outlet stores, and stores located in shopping malls and strip malls. Unionized workplaces will not be included in the blitz.
Inspectors will be determining whether employers are compliant with core employment standards, such as:
- public holiday pay;
- overtime pay;
- display of the Employment Standards poster;
- hours of work; and
- vacation pay.
Public holiday pay will be a particular focus of the inspection,
as there is often confusion regarding the public holiday pay
obligations that arise out of retailers' use of part-time
employees and employees with variable shifts.
This blitz will be in addition to regular inspections undertaken by
the Ministry of Labour, and will not overlap with the Compliance
Check Pilot, which focuses on employers who have had no interaction
with the Ministry to date.
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