Only 10 employers in Prince Edward Island have ever been found non-compliant with the federal temporary foreign worker program.
That’s according to data available to date from Employment and Social Development Canada, which administers the program.
But experts say the number likely captures only a fraction of what’s happening on the ground.
Ryan MacRae, migrant worker program co-ordinator with the Cooper Institute in Charlottetown, said the low number of non-compliant employers doesn’t match what he hears from workers the organization has supported over the years.
“We do know from workers that … there’s still lots of fraudulent activity happening here on P.E.I.,” he said.
Temporary foreign workers often arrive in Canada on closed work permits tied to a single employer, making it difficult to leave a job and increasing workers’ vulnerability, MacRae said.
He pointed to issues the…
HOW TO SPOT A “RED FLAG” (THE BEHAVIORAL AUDIT)
Keep an eye out for these behavioral shifts in your staff:
Refusal to take leave: Afraid someone will find their “adjustments.”
Unexplained wealth: Buying luxury items that don’t match their known salary.
Working odd hours: Preferring to work alone late at night when no one is watching the system.
“Gatekeeper” behavior: Becoming overly defensive or angry when someone asks to see their records.