June 2008

The Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program was created to help employers hire foreign workers more quickly to help ease their hiring difficulties. The process is initiated by the employer and an employer can either have a foreign worker already in mind, or wait until pre-approval is granted.

The program is open to employers who need temporary workers for positions that require more than a high-school education. Employers are responsible under this program for ensuring their workers are covered by medical and health insurance and Worker’s Compensation. All workers are covered by provincial Employment Standards. In some cases, the employer who hired the worker must cover the costs of flights to and from Canada, regardless of whether the employee works for them for the entire term.

The TFW program can be successful for many employers, but it is not necessarily the answer to all employers’ hiring difficulties. “I’m having a hard time hiring temporary foreign workers,” says Evelyn Adante, owner of Thickwood Lube and Car Wash. Adante successfully hired two workers from the Philippines just over a year ago, but has not had success with the Canadian embassy in the Philippines for the last eight workers she has tried to hire. “They have all been turned down for reasons of no experience or not having satisfied the visa officers that they will be returning back to the Philippines after they’re done,” says Adante.

Other issues may include finding a contact in other countries, confusing regulations, worker qualifications and language barriers. Unfortunately, there are no easy solutions to these issues. For further information, see the employer resources, or visit www.woodbuffalo.net for notice of upcoming Temporary Foreign Worker forums.

The information in this issue of Labour Market News was current as of the date shown. Employment outlook, salaries and educational programs may change. Please verify the information with additional sources before making career or business investment decisions. Contact us for more information.