Employment in Canada is based on mutual arrangements and rules that both employee and employer respect. Many employees are not very familiar with the work culture and collective labor agreements. That’s why it is essential to boost your knowledge when it comes to duties and rights at work. Here is an article highlighting the employee’s rights in Canada in any professional sector.

What you should Know about Employees Rights:

The Canadian government is granting equal opportunities for every applicant. Many legislations are working to improve, among other things, minimum wages, working hours, holidays, gender equality, sick leaves, as well as dismissal conditions. Every individual employment contract in Canada includes rights and obligations. If you are interested in pursuing a better work-life, sign up for Fratres and improve your professional knowledge.

 With the abundance of diversity, working conditions, and professional ties, the Canadian government sought to implement legal regulations protecting both employers and employees at work. Employers' and employee's rights are usually listed as mutual arrangements in employment standards in Canada. Specific obligations of each party belong to each employment contract, where employers set after the candidate’s interviewing process. What is Age Discrimination in the workplace in Canada? How to Combat it?

The Employee Rights in Canada:

The employer has four main obligations towards his employee, as provided for by the employment equity act in Canada:

1.Introduce all the work details: a job title is based on specific tasks. One of the employers' duties is to introduce these tasks, acknowledge them, and write them in the employment contract. So when it agrees, the employee will sign after knowing these tasks and accepting them. Not clarifying the tasks is a sign of exploitation, and employees should demand a list of the written tasks.

2.Paying when the work is done: payment is one of the employer's obligations and the employee's rights. The payment details should be introduced in the contract, as this payment includes taxations, holidays, perks and benefits, etc..

3 protect the employee's health and safety:

Employers are responsible for their employees health and safety. They should provide the necessary sanitizing tools and protection during this pandemic disease or change the working conditions, into an online working model. In some organizations, employers provide healthcare insurances and dental control for employees. Healthcare benefits depend on the size of the company and the type of organization in which employees operate.

4 protecting employees' dignity.

Canada is a diverse land. Employers should respect the employees’ backgrounds and origins and not show animosity towards the employee's culture. Employers should also prevent assaults and conflicts that target employees' dignity at work. Here is; How to Handle Conflict in the Workplace

After introducing the 4 primary duties that employers should provide for their employees, let’s take a look at the employee's rights in any professional sector.

Depending on previous professional arrangements, employees have the right:

1. to receive a salary in accordance with the professional agreement and other minimum requirements such as working hours and conditions.
2. To get protection guaranteed by law and agreements
3. To operate in a healthy and safe work environment
4. An employee also has some specific obligations and rules to adhere to:
5. to carry out work in a serious and careful way
6. to respect the fixed working hours
7. to respect the manager’s instructions and attend periodic meetings
8. to keep professional secrecy and respect confidentiality

employees rights for immigrants:

Immigrants are mainly entering Canada for professional purposes. This category should visit the labor relations advice service for immigrants to understand the employment contract and working conditions in Canada.

-Immigrant employees have then similar equal payment as Canadian employees. Their employment is defined under a specific contract that includes the following rights:

-Employers initiate the foreign employee’s working visas. Take a look at; Employer-specific Work Permit.

-Employers provide the payment arranged on the work contract

-Employers provide an accessible workplace with the necessary tools, equipment, and other means for proceeding employment.

-Employers clarify to foreign employees the agreed amount of work, the type of work, and the degree of authority and responsibility.

-Employers should notify employees multiple times before dismissal.

Immigrants health insurance and protection are not necessarily part of the employer's duties. -The employer is just responsible for the working visas and the period of staying in Canada. -Concerning healthcare coverage or insurance, this service can be guaranteed depending on the sector of employment. If the immigrant operates in teaching, engineering, or healthcare service, the whole institution will cover the medical benefits. If the immigrant works in the manual field or the private sector, the benefits will not be the same. So the immigrant employee, in return, is responsible for choosing his/ her own health insurance and should be participating in ensuring his own safety.

-The employer must treat his employee with respect and equality. There should be no discrimination at work.

Immigrants can resort to organizations and legal support in case of abuse, exploitation, and mistreatment.

These were the different sets of obligations and rights arranged between employees and employers at work. Canada is a country of equal opportunities and professional advancement. There are thousands of immigrants getting professional stability in Canada and contributing to its economic growth.