Surveys show that more than 65 per cent of York students work in paid employment during the school year. Research also indicates that many workers – especially young workers – experience violations of their legal rights but are either unaware of the Employment Standards Act Ontario or unsure about what to do when their employer breaks the law.
“Every year, students approach me after a class on employment law to tell me a story about how their employer failed to pay their wages, or didn’t pay the minimum wage, or fired them with no notice,” says Professor Stephanie Ross, coordinator of York’s Work & Labour Studies Program in York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
In response to these problems, students and faculty associated with the Work & Labour Studies Program, the Centre for Research on Work & Society and the Work & Labour Studies Students Association are launching a year-long campaign tomorrow to raise awareness among students about their employment rights.
Tomorrow, Nov. 2, from 10:30am to 4:30pm, students in the program will be in the Bear Pit in Central Square on York’s Keele campus to distribute the first in a series of Know Your Rights fact sheets on employment standards.
York students are invited to drop by the Bear Pit for some popcorn and candy, a fun game of Employment Standards Jeopardy, and a chance to win prizes for knowing their rights. Students can also share their experiences at work by posting on a “Bad Boss Collage”. Information on where to seek support and advice, and how to file a complaint if they feel they are being treated unfairly at work, will also be distributed.
For more information about the event, contact Ross, or the Work & Labour Studies Students Association at wlssa@yorku.ca.
For information about employment rights in general, and teaching and research about the changing nature of work, visit Work & Labour Studies Program website or the Centre for Research on Work & Society website.