Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Province fines sushi restaurants

Failed to properly pay employees

By: Matthew Bedard

Posted: 12/20/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

The province's employment watchdog had to act this year to ensure sushi restaurant employees weren't getting a raw deal.

That was one of the findings from an Employment Standards report released Tuesday that details its investigations on employer wage violations.

During spot checks of several sushi restaurants, Employment Standards inspectors found 95 per cent of them failed to pay employees holiday pay or overtime.

The spot checks prompted the provincial agency to issue warnings to all 52 city sushi restaurants -- in the form of notice-to-comply orders -- to make sure provincial laws were being followed. Followup inspections found most restaurants had complied, with all but one, Wasabi Sabi on Taylor Avenue, fined for continual violations.

Wasabi Sabi was fined $500 this year for failure to pay wages within a 10-day period.

Asha Kim, a full-time chef at Sushi California on Academy Road, said he was not surprised about Employment Standards' findings.

"Our restaurant pays our employees properly, but most sushi restaurants don't make much profit," he said, alluding to how competitive the restaurant industry is in Winnipeg.

Part-time workers at Sushi California don't receive overtime pay, he said, but not because the employers are trying to circumvent labour laws.

"Our place always schedules part-time workers to make sure we're following the law," said Kim.

He said complaints from workers at other sushi restaurants may have been because employees weren't satisfied with their wages. If that's the case, workers always have a choice.

"The employees, if they aren't happy, they can find another job," he said.

While the responsibility to pay staff is on employers, workers should be diligent on where they choose to ply their trade, said Chantalle Noschese, a pastry chef and culinary arts instructor at Red River College.

"Definitely do your homework," she said. "Investigate with your colleagues, people in the industry. Go on Facebook or Urbanspoon.

"If the business is making money, it shouldn't be an issue."

Employment Standards is a provincial branch that monitors businesses in Manitoba.

The branch answers questions, explains legislation and investigates employers to ensure the laws are followed.

The investigation branch relies on multiple sources to determine which employers to investigate. Tips from workers play an important role.

Each year, Employment Standards investigates about 450 businesses, with more than half of the investigations conducted because of tips.

On average, 80 per cent of employers investigated are found to be in violation of employment laws, according to the Employment Standards' website.

The branch has the authority to fine any business that violates employment or construction wage codes. Fines range from $500 to $10,000 and are imposed upon violation after a business has been initially served a notice-to-comply order.

A complete list of businesses fined is available at http://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/standards/asset_library/pdf/ap_archived_2012.pdf

matthew.bedard@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 20, 2012 B2

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Local

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.