Ontario’s government signed an information-sharing agreement with the federal government of Canada to exchange data on employers and recruitment agencies that hire temporary foreign workers.

The Ontario government reports temporary foreign workers are at greater risk of having their workplace rights violated as their work is often seasonal with a work permit tied to one employer and the workers may lack language skills.

The goal of the agreement is to:

  • Increase Ontario’s oversight of workplaces that hire temporary foreign workers.
  • Ensure employers are complying with the province’s workplace laws.
  • Identify and report employers who fail to comply with workplace rights and standards.
  • Determine whether employers are eligible to hire foreign workers.

“Our workplace laws are for all Ontario workers, including the temporary foreign workers who help farmers and business owners in our province growth their businesses and the economy,” said Kevin Flynn, minister of labor for Ontario. “We are concerned about the potential exploitation of temporary foreign workers, and this new information-sharing agreement will help us to better protect some of our most vulnerable workers.”

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