Polo Park fast-food outlet A&W carries out mass staff layoff

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This article was published 01/11/2023 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An ownership change at a local A&W led to a mass staff layoff with the option to reapply for their jobs. The move is unusual but not novel, according to experts.

An employee at A&W in CF Polo Park’s food court confirmed Wednesday staff are being let go. The former franchise owners, who couldn’t be reached by print deadline, have sold the fast-food business known for its onion rings, root beer and family of burgers.

All staff have been “compensated and looked after very fairly,” a spokesperson for A&W Canada wrote in a statement.

Local A&W leadership directed a Free Press reporter to the brand’s national headquarters in Vancouver.

Employees at the Polo Park location can reapply for their jobs; some already have, according to A&W Canada.

“Caring for staff is a top priority for our franchisees and ourselves,” the spokesperson continued.

They did not answer how many people were affected or why the decision was made.

The news sparked outrage among some Winnipeggers.

“I would personally boycott that store,” said David, who declined to give his last name. “Job security is important.”

Some people reminisced online about seeing the same A&W workers as the years changed.

“I don’t think we hear about this all that often, but this does happen,” said Julie Guard, a University of Manitoba labour studies professor.

Employers don’t need a reason to let go of all their staff; however, they can’t violate human rights, such as removing someone because of their gender or religion, Guard noted.

“Employment is at will. There are rules about how much notice (employers) have to give people, but other than that, there’s nothing to stop them,” she said.

Employers must give at least a week of notice to anyone they’re terminating. If the employee has worked more than a year, the notice period becomes a minimum of two weeks.

Guard called the move “odd” in the current labour market since it’s “a bit of a sellers’ market” when it comes to attracting people for low-wage shift- work jobs.

Still, the hospitality industry can be difficult for workers — they often have little control over their workplace, Guard stated.

Sometimes, in cases where all staff are let go, employers will rehire the former workers and set their own wages, often starting at minimum wage, noted Julia Smith, a University of Manitoba labour studies professor.

“If some of those employees had been there for many years, they might be making more than what the employer wants to pay,” Smith said, emphasizing she doesn’t know the A&W situation’s particulars.

The Portage Avenue A&W across from CF Polo Park is owned by a different franchisee than the operation in the mall.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com