In January 2025, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited A&W Food Services of Canada and Tim Hortons to respond to allegations against a recruiter Allison Jones, and two of her companies, AJ Immigration and Allison Jones Consulting. Reporting in November and December 2024 states:

“Two former employees of Ms. Jones told The Globe that staff at the two companies routinely worked together to bring foreigners into Canada to work at large retailers and restaurants, charging the workers US$7,900 for the entire process… Ms. Jones also recruited foreign workers for Tim Hortons and A&W restaurants.”

The reporting also details ways in which such charges rendered the workers vulnerable to exploitation by employers. Recruitment fee-charging is additionally recognized as an exploitative practice by international standards, including the International Labour Organization, irrespective of legality in specific jurisdictions.

Allison Jones denied the allegations in comments to the Globe and Mail. Canadian Tire subsequently updated its policies to prohibit franchise owners from using recruiters and immigration consultants who charge fees to temporary foreign workers. A separate investigation into recruitment and working conditions for workers at a Canadian Tire store into allegations of wage theft and threatened dismissal is ongoing.

We invited A&W and Tim Hortons

1. To respond to the allegations against a recruiter used by their franchisees and confirm whether these companies are indeed used to source workers;
2. To clarify the company’s position on recruitment fee-charges to migrant workers, including the payment of legal fees;
3. To disclose whether workers at your company’s franchises have been found to be charged fees, the amounts charged and the incidence of this practice among your migrant workforce; and
4. To confirm whether the company commits to remedy any alleged abuse or fee-charging that has occurred.

Tim Hortons provided a response which can be read in full below. A&W did not respond.