Pilot program seeks to reward companies that better protect temporary foreign workers

Ottawa is introducing a new three-year pilot program that would incentivize employers to follow worker-protection rules by making it easier for them to hire temporary foreign workers.

Under the pilot program, companies with a good track record would only need to prove that they require temporary foreign workers every three years, instead of every 18 months.

The employer’s trusted status would also be flagged to potential workers in the government’s job bank.

The temporary foreign worker program is designed to attract workers from abroad to fill short-term labour market gaps in cases where no Canadians or permanent residents are available.