Vey Willetts lawyer Paul Willetts was recently quoted in The Lawyer's Daily. The article, "New federal rules to require interns to be paid minimum wage, students exempt", considers new regulations under the Canada Labour Code that are poised to take effect this fall.
The Standards for Work-Integrated Learning Activities Regulations require that interns (with the exception of students) be treated as employees under Part III of the Canada Labour Code. In practical terms, this means that interns will be entitled to receive at least the minimum wage for their work along with a number of other statutory protections (e.g. standards hours of work, unpaid breaks and general holidays). The regulations also impose new record-keeping requirements on affected employers.
Willetts notes that “the implication for federally regulated employers is that caution must be exercised before instituting an unpaid internship.” While employers may be concerned by the potential administrative and financial burden associated with these changes, Willetts advises that “the federal government has estimated the additional costs for employers to be quite limited while the new record-keeping obligations already exist for other staff.”
If you are a federally-regulated employee or employer with questions about your rights and/or obligations under the new regulations, please contact one of our employment lawyers to discuss.
Vey Willetts LLP is an Ottawa-based employment and labour law firm that provides timely and cost-effective legal advice to help employees and employers resolve workplace issues in Ottawa and across Ontario. 613-238-4430 or info@vwlawyers.ca