Your rights as a worker in Canada


In Canada, the rights of all workers, including temporary foreign workers, are protected by law. If you are a temporary foreign worker, you have the same rights and protections as Canadians and permanent residents.

Your employer must: Your employer cannot: Your employment agreement

On or before your first day of work, your employer must give you a copy of your employment agreement. It must be in English or French (your chosen official language while in Canada). Both you and your employer must sign this agreement. The employmentagreement must refer to the same occupation, wages and working conditions as those outlined in your offer of employment.

Access to health care services

You do not need your employer’s permission to seek health care. In most cases you do not have to pay to see a doctor or for hospital care in Canada.

Provincial or Territorial health care insurance

You will have access to free health care under the health insurance system of the province or territory where you are working. However, when you first arrive in Canada, it may take some time before you are covered by the provincial or territorial health insurance system. Your employer shall help you set up health insurance coverage as required by your province or territory.

Private health insurance

If there is a period where you are not covered by the provincial or territorial health insurance where you are working, your employer must obtain and pay for your private health insurance that covers emergency medical care. Your employer cannot deduct any money from your pay for this private health insurance. If you are a seasonal agricultural worker from Mexico or the Caribbean, this does not apply to you, since agreements between these countries and Canada include provision of health insurance.

If you are injured or become ill at your workplace

Tell your supervisor or employer as soon as possible and get medical attention as quickly as possible. Your employer must make reasonable efforts to provide access to a health care provider (like a doctor, nurse or pharmacist) by, for example:

Your employer is not required to pay for your transportation to get to a hospital, clinic, doctor or other health care service. (See Health care insurance section for exceptions for seasonal agricultural workers.)

You have the right to speak privately with a health care provider, without your employer

Health and safety at work

Your employer cannot force you to do work that you think is dangerous. They cannot fire you or refuse to pay you. Your employer must look into any danger that is reported in theworkplace. You have the right to refuse to do the work until you and your employer agree that:

Your employer must:

Most provinces and territories offer workers’ compensation benefits (payments to make up for lost wages) when workers are injured or sick because of their work.

It is against the law for your employer to stop you from making a workers’ compensation claim.

In some provinces and territories, employers must get and pay for workplace safety insurance. Your employer must not deduct any money from your pay for this.

If you and your employer disagree about a health and safety issue, report the situation to the workplace health and safety office in your province or territory (see contacts below).

Workplace free of abuse

Employers must make reasonable efforts to provide a workplace that is free of abuse. Your employer or anyone acting on behalf ofyour employer can not abuse you, physically, sexually, psychologically or financially.

Abuse includes reprisals such as actions or threats of demotion, disciplinary measures or dismissal due to reporting your employer for non-compliance. Any behaviour that scares, controls or isolates you could be abuse.

Some examples of abuse:

To report an abusive situation, contact the Service Canada confidential tip line at 1-866-602-9448. If you need help right away, call 9-1-1 or your local police.

If you lose your job

Your employer should provide reasonable notice before laying you off. If they do not, they must pay you termination pay. The amount is based on how long you have been working and in which province or territory you are working.

If you lose your job through no fault of your own, or if you leave your job because you are being abused, you may qualify to receive Employment Insurance benefits.

Changing employers

You are allowed to change employers. However, your work permit may only allow you to work for your current employer, so you may need to apply for a new work permit before you can start working for a different employer. Also, your new employer must get permission from the Government of Canada to hire you as a temporary foreign worker. They may have to re-apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment.

If you are a seasonal agricultural worker, you may be able to change employers without getting a new work permit.

You can use the Government of Canada Job Bank to search for jobs with Canadian employers who want to hire temporary foreign workers. The job posting will say if the employer has already applied for or received a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment. The employer needs this to hire a temporary foreign worker.

Housing rights Workers in the Low-Wage and Primary Agriculture streams

If you are a low-wage or primary agriculture worker, your employer must ensure that adequate, suitable and affordable housing isavailable to you. Your employer can deduct money from your pay for housing and costs such as water and electricity. However, there are some limitations based on your program stream.

Workers in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program

If you are employed through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, your employer must provide adequate housing at no cost to you (except in British Columbia where employers can deduct from your pay for accommodations). All pay deductions should be listed in your employment agreement. Deductions which are allowed vary by province. If you are from Mexico or the Caribbean, the cost of housing and utilities must be in your signed employment agreement.

Adequate housing

The place where you live should meet provincial/territorial and municipal legislations including:

If there is a problem with your housing, report it by calling the Service Canada confidential tip line at 1-866-602-9448.

How to get help

If your employer is breaking the rules of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, or is abusing you or someone you know, you should report it.

Call Service Canada’s tip line: 1-866-602-9448

You can also report abuse to Service Canada using this online form

Changing jobs due to abuse or risk of abuse

If you think you are being abused or at risk of being abused, you may be eligible to apply for an open work permit for vulnerable workers. An open work permit lets you change jobs by giving you permission to work for almost any employer in Canada. More information is available on the page for vulnerable foreign workers who are victims of abuse.

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