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…
MANAGEMENT & CULTURE (THE “TONE AT THE TOP”)
Fraud thrives in “sloppy” environments where leadership ignores the rules.
- The Fraud Triangle: For fraud to occur, three elements must be present: Pressure (the need for money), Rationalization (thinking “I deserve this”), and Opportunity (weak controls). You can only control the Opportunity.
- Whistleblower Hotline: Provide an anonymous way for staff to report “odd behavior.” Most internal frauds are caught via tips, not audits.
- Background Checks: Conduct credit and criminal record checks for all employees in financial or data-sensitive roles.
- Annual Ethics Training: Make sure every staff member knows that the company has a Zero Tolerance policy toward “borrowing” from petty cash or fudging overtime.