The Ontario government has fined an employer for illegally charging foreign workers for job placements at Canadian Tire, according to a recent report.

The province’s Ministry of Labour found that Jones and her two businesses charged the workers between US$7,900 and US$12,000 to secure work permits and jobs at a Canadian Tire location in Toronto…

None of the workers were aware at the time that charging recruitment fees is unlawful…

Previously, a Canadian Tire store in Toronto started being investigated by both provincial and federal authorities following allegations of mistreatment and financial exploitation of employees hired under Ottawa’s Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program… [see more incl. co. comments here]

The Ontario Ministry of Labour fined Jones $2,000 and ordered two companies she owns—Allison Jones Consulting Services Inc. and AJ Immigration Group Inc.—to reimburse the foreign workers up to a total of $150,000, according to the report…

The decision also noted that Jones tried to skirt the law by “having fees fall under AJ Immigration Group Inc.” after each stage of the recruitment process…

Despite the decision against the recruiter, labour lawyers and immigration experts are criticising how the law does little to prevent exploitation of foreign workers…