On March 9, 2007, several farm workers from India were killed when the van that was taking them to work crashed on the way to the farm in Abbotsford, British Columbia. While this accident was extreme, it does serve to illustrate the fact that when it comes to foreign workers in Canada, working conditions may not always be ideal.

While in most cases death is not the result of poor management or treatment by employers when it comes to foreign workers, it is just one of many possible scenarios when it comes to abuse, and some are all too common. Foreign workers are often regarded merely as cheap labour and are not treated in the way Canadian workers themselves would wish to be treated.

Some examples of poor treatment that are more common among foreign workers include a reluctance on the part of employers to pay agreed upon wages, poor living conditions paid for by the employer, and frequent threats. All of the above are very real abuses as far as the worker is concerned; without the wages they have been promised, the trip to Canada for work may actually result in the loss of money. Poor living conditions may result in an inability to do the work necessary due to illness or lack of sleep, which again may result in a loss of wages.

If you are a foreign worker who makes a living in Canada, how can you avoid the abuses that are a real risk at your job? After all, as a non-Canadian worker, you will not be protected under the same Labour Laws that apply to Canadian citizens.

One way to avoid employers with a history of poor treatment when it comes to foreign workers is to register with a reputable agency that recruits foreign workers for employers. These agencies are generally registered with local governments and will be one of the first places where employers turn to find foreign help, so they can also serve as great ways to find work.

More importantly, agencies are aware of laws that govern the treatment of foreign workers in several areas, including housing and actual work. Where the laws themselves don’t help to fill in the gaps, these agencies can assist foreign workers by denying employers with a poor history of treatment from getting the labour that they need.

So if you are not a Canadian citizen and are looking for work, make sure to check out the services of a good agency. Not only will you have a better chance of finding work, but also it will probably be with an employer who will treat you well.

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Have you ever considered hiring foreign workers Canada. It has programs that may subsidize a portion of their wages.