The federal government has imposed a fine of $111,000 on the proprietor of a Canadian Tire store in Etobicoke for breaching Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program regulations. Ezhil Natarajan, the owner of the branch, was found to have violated two guidelines set by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), which administers the TFW program. These violations included discrepancies in wages, working conditions, or job roles compared to what was promised in the job offers, as well as assigning employees to tasks different from their initial hiring roles.
ESDC’s decision, issued in July this year, followed complaints from two former employees of the Etobicoke branch, who disclosed mistreatment, substandard working conditions, and payment below agreed wages by Natarajan to CBC News. Natarajan did not provide an immediate response to CBC News’ request for comments on Monday. Notably, he has been operating various Canadian Tire stores under his company, GeethaEzhil Inc., since 2012, as indicated on his LinkedIn profile reviewed by CBC News last year.
An ongoing investigation into Natarajan is being conducted by the Ontario Ministry of Labour. Additionally, CBC News reached out to ESDC and Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for further details regarding the investigation and penalties. Canadian Tire refrained from commenting immediately on the matter, citing that each store is independently owned and operated, responsible for staff recruitment, selection, hiring, and training.
One former worker, Rowell Pailan, revealed to CBC News that he was recruited through the TFW program to work at Natarajan’s Canadian Tire store. Despite being promised a full-time store supervisor position with a $20 per hour salary, Pailan’s hourly pay was reduced to $16.50 per hour by Natarajan, who warned him against disclosing the change. Another employee, Jhan Cresencio, reported being subjected to derogatory treatment by Natarajan in 2023 for lending a key to a colleague.
Cresencio transitioned to an open work permit under a program designed for TFWs facing or at risk of abuse. Following the fine imposed on Natarajan, Pailan expressed relief, stating it brings justice and hopes it deters mistreatment of future employees. Pailan, now residing in Wolfville, N.S., shared his long wait for updates on the case, while Cresencio has yet to comment on the fine. Moreover, Pailan disclosed paying $7,900 US to an Alberta-based recruitment agency to secure the job at Canadian Tire, which was fined $165,000 by the province for charging workers for job placements, a decision they intend to appeal.
