Your rights and responsibilities
It is important for temporary foreign workers to be aware of their employment rights and responsibilities. The following easy reading guide can help you understand employment standards and your pay statement.
The following resources can help you learn about employment standards rules in Alberta:
The following fact sheet has information on your rights and responsibilities as a worker in Alberta, and the support you can access from Alberta's Temporary Foreign Worker Advisory Office.
It is important for temporary foreign workers to be aware of their human rights in Alberta.
Safety
These resources can help you learn how to stay safe at work.
- Easy Reading – Be Safe At Work
- Worker's Guide to Occupational Health and Safety
- Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)
- Workers Compensation Board – Alberta
Employment agencies
Employment agencies can help:
- people look for work in Alberta
- employers recruit employees in Alberta
Licence requirements
Employment agencies must have a licence issued by Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction to exist in Alberta or recruit for an employer located in Alberta.
This is the law even if the agency recruits people outside of Alberta.
Find out if an employment agency is licensed.
Rules
Employment agencies cannot:
- demand or collect a fee from a Temporary Foreign Worker for recruiting services or for helping them find a job
- demand or hold a bond or deposit from an individual
- It is against the law to collect any fee from a person even if the agency may pay it back later.
- tell an employer that the employer can recover costs of the agency’s services from the employee
- This includes deducting from the employee’s salary or demanding cash from the employee.
- make an individual pay for other services as a condition to help the person find work
- This includes immigration services.
Learn more about employment agencies.
Temporary Foreign Workers can file a complaint with government if they believe an immigration consultant or employment agency has:
- deceived or misled them
- charged prohibited fees
- otherwise broke the rules described in the legislation
English as a Second Language (ESL)
ESL drop-in centres
Visit an ESL drop-in Centre to help you in your transition.
Calgary
The Immigrant Education Service
Edmonton
Edson
Edson and District Community Learning Society
Taber
Taber & District Adult Learning Association
Immigration
For temporary foreign workers interested in gaining permanent residency in the province, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) can help make the immigration process go faster.
Contact
Phone: You can contact the Temporary Foreign Worker Advisory Office toll-free throughout most of the world at 1-877-944-9955, with the following exception:
- Mexico: 0018005145713
Email: [email protected]
Office hours: 8:15 am – 4:30 pm (Monday to Friday)
Closed weekends and general holidays