Castanet

Michael Noble had a lousy New Year's Day.

The award-winning chef, who owns Notable and The Nash, took a big hit New Year's Day, when neither restaurant was open.

That's because, thanks to new labour laws that went into effect the same day, Noble was forced to pay his staff of 140.

"On New Year's Day, the hit to the combined two restaurants that I own and run was $11,000 in statutory holiday pay, on a day when I had zero revenue," Noble said, in an interview on the Calgary Eyeopener .

New guidelines for holiday pay

According to Alberta labour guidelines, all eligible employees are entitled to holiday pay, where they are paid the equivalent of a day's pay whether they work or not.

Previously, according to Noble, "the old law stated that the employer would pay the stat pay if an individual employee had worked five of the past nine days that the stat holiday fell on."

Starting Jan. 1, "the new law states that every employee in the business now receives five per cent of their last four weeks gross pay on the stat holiday … whether or not they ever work on that day of the week."

Starting Jan. 1, "the new law states that every employee in the business now receives five per cent of their last four weeks gross pay on the stat holiday … whether or not they ever work on that day of the week."

All of it came due on a day that neither restaurant ever opens on.

"The history of my restaurants is that I've been always closed on Monday," Noble said. "I'm 100 per cent labour rules compliant, but the great thing about being closed on Mondays was that any stat holiday that fell on a Monday, I wasn't paying out a ton of stat holiday pay, because nobody ever works in the [restaurant] business on Monday."

oneh2obabe wrote:Why should he open on a day that the restaurant is always closed, whether it's a stat or not?

Jflem1983 wrote:The NDP r ruining Canada

JayByrd wrote:

Jflem1983 wrote:The NDP r ruining Canada

Rightist rhetoric, blaming everything on the government. Whatever happened to personal responsibility? There is risk involved in running a business. Some of that risk involves *gasp* paying your staff what they are legally entitled to. Follow the rules, or sell your restaurant and let someone run it who will. At least this guy fulfilled his obligation.

Omnitheo wrote:Jflem if you actually had employees you paid then you would know you need to abide by the BC Employment Standards. Your comments make it obvious you don’t.

JayByrd wrote:

Jflem1983 wrote:The NDP r ruining Canada

Rightist rhetoric, blaming everything on the government. Whatever happened to personal responsibility? There is risk involved in running a business. Some of that risk involves *gasp* paying your staff what they are legally entitled to. Follow the rules, or sell your restaurant and let someone run it who will. At least this guy fulfilled his obligation.