Stop Shaming Business Owners

[alanjh595]

The rates for the company don't go up, the cost is shared upon all businesses within that occupational code.

No, your rates can be increased or decreased based on claim history. The base line is indeed shared.

WorksafeBC is responsible for monitoring individual businesses and they will put a stop work order on anything that they feel is unsafe. They are responsible for worker safety standards and the employer is required to enforce those standards on the employees. If they fail to do so, the business can be fined or shut down for non-compliance.

[kgcayenne]

If your job is a dishwasher and you don't understand that knives are sharp and can be found soaking in sinks, then that says everything about why you're making minimum wage.

Ummm it’s most restaurants’ policy to never put a knife in a sink of hot soapy water unless you are immersing it to immediately wash it. In fact, good cooks never let the dishwashers handle their knives. Well.... good restaurants, anyway.... in the 90s. Things around here can certainly change for the worse.

[HorganIsMyHero]

You want the employer to supply a helmet too? You know, because the wet floors might be slippery and somebody might hit their head.
Perhaps full protection body armour, like football players wear?

You know that on construction sites employees are responsible for supplying their own hart hats, steel toe boots and hi-vis vests?

Maybe dishwashers should have to supply and use their own equipment, that they have to pay for.

Fast food places generally have some sort of mesh-metal glove for cutting onions and doing other activities with cutting machines or extremely sharp knives. I was merely suggesting that an owner of such business could allow a dishwasher to wear the same glove to avoid being cut by a knife hidden in soapy water.

My complaints aren't specific to dishwashers, I'm just really surprised people are supporting business owners who don't even bother to tell workers about the job site or give any information whatsoever about particular hazards. It's a good way to get your employees killed no matter how good they are at a trade or whatever other skills they have.

[alanjh595]

When you need a joint health and safety committee
If your workplace has 20 or more workers, you need a joint committee. This includes any workplace where there are 20 or more workers employed at the workplace for longer than a month. WorkSafeBC may also order that a joint committee be established in any other workplace.

When you need a worker health and safety representative
If your workplace has more than 9 but fewer than 20 workers, you need to have a worker health and safety representative. This includes any workplace where there are 10 or more workers employed at the workplace for longer than a month.

What joint committees and worker health and safety representatives do
The joint committee plays an important role in your occupational health and safety program, giving workers and employers a way to work together to identify and find solutions to workplace health and safety issues. The joint committee has the following specific duties and functions:

Identify situations that may be unhealthy or unsafe for workers, and advise on effective systems for responding to those situations
Consider, and promptly deal with complaints relating to the health and safety of workers
Consult with workers and the employer on issues related to occupational health and safety, and the occupational environment
Make recommendations to the employer and the workers for the improvement of the occupational health and safety, and the occupational environment of workers
Make recommendations to the employer on educational programs promoting the health and safety of workers and compliance with Part 3 of the Workers Compensation Act and the regulations, and to monitor their effectiveness
Advise the employer on programs and policies required under the regulations for the workplace, and to monitor their effectiveness
Advise the employer on proposed changes to the workplace, including significant proposed changes to equipment and machinery, or the work processes that may affect the health or safety of workers
Ensure that accident investigations and regular inspections are carried out as required
Participate in inspections, investigations and inquiries as provided in Part 3 of the Workers Compensation Act and Section 3 of the Regulation

https://www.worksafebc.com/en/health-sa ... committees

[ferri]

Time to put the knives away and get back on topic. :)

https://www.castanet.net/news/Letters/216710/How-do-you-spell-boycott

I agree to some extent that people deserve a fair wage to allow them the necessitates in life but we really need to change our attitude towards business owners. Excluding CEOs who make millions, most small business owners take home under $100,000 a year. These owners will be the ones affected directly by the salaries they pay their employees.

The letter to the editor states owners need to pay more and not think about their own bottom line, as in these greedy owners have it so easy since they own a business and shouldn't afford to buy luxuries. If its so easy then why don't all you whinners and conplainers open your own business and take your own cut?

[Veovis]

https://www.castanet.net/news/Letters/216710/How-do-you-spell-boycott

I agree to some extent that people deserve a fair wage to allow them the necessitates in life but we really need to change our attitude towards business owners. Excluding CEOs who make millions, most small business owners take home under $100,000 a year. These owners will be the ones affected directly by the salaries they pay their employees.

The letter to the editor states owners need to pay more and not think about their own bottom line, as in these greedy owners have it so easy since they own a business and shouldn't afford to buy luxuries. If its so easy then why don't all you whinners and conplainers open your own business and take your own cut?

The fact lands with most people having no clue on the real hourly cost of an employee. They say it's only $15.00 but often don't realize that can actual be $25-$30 in real costs.

It's those with no clue, and others with just that great compassion to see others do well (since they are already very comfortable themselves) so why not suggest everyone have more, it's just always more of someone elses money, in this case the business owner, never their own money.

[Catsumi]

removed.

[Smurf]

I have not read the thread completely but wanted to mention that from experience many small business owners do not do that well especially if you were to take their actual hours worked for the income they make. In many cases little if any above their employees. When I think of the hours we spent getting stock, doing books and many other jobs on top of working full shifts I would hate to think what our hourly income was. I would have made more money at my old job than both my wife and myself made in the business but it was worth it. We loved being our own boss and proving to ourselves that we could succeed. Us and our family that were involved would definitely do it again. And I can honestly say that I don't believe we did it on the backs of our employees because as I said they probably made as much hourly as we did with no risk or investment. The fact that we helped a few young people get some job experience and learn responsibility was also a benefit of the business. I believe you would find if you could find out the truth there are a great many good business owners out there who are not just in it for themselves.

EDIT TO ADD: I do however agree that once business's become too large the personal contact can be lost, especially if it goes public and profit can become the main goal.

[36Drew]

You know that on construction sites employees are responsible for supplying their own ... hi-vis vests?

Again, slightly wrong.

WorkSafe BC requires workers to provide clothing needed for protection against the elements, general purpose work gloves, appropriate footwear including safety footwear and safety headgear. These items are not considered to be special clothing under the Employment Standards Act. An employer is responsible for providing, at no cost to the employee, all other items of personal protective equipment required by the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation under the Workers Compensation Act.

source

Don't see "High-Viz Vest" mentioned in that statement.

[dirtybiker]

Smurf;^^^^^^
Great post.

[kgcayenne]

I think the participants of this topic have lost sight of the original news item and letter as it pertains to the huge Tim Hortons corporation franchise that penalized employees after the first step of the ON government’s minimum wage changes.

I wish minimum wages were indexed to a corporation’s actual performance so that small, independent businesses were allowed to pay a lower rate than required from corporations with six figure CEO wages and dividends. Or at least force large corporations to set up profit sharing programs in lieu.

Besides. If an employer is kind and provides a good environment & flexibility, employees will be less resentful of minimum wage. Mind you, I think in most cases, good employers know paying more is to their advantage.

[greenmile]

you are not entitled to run a business.
It is extremely selfish to believe that you can take someone else’s work and not provide them with a basic living wage. If you can’t afford to run a business and pay an appropriate wage, you do not deserve to be in business. Bottom line.

Keep in mind the vast majority of businesses that pay minimum wage are the ones with millionaires and billionaires at the top. And the money they don’t spend on their employees they horde and spend lobbying to perpetuate this nonesense you are all guzzling about how people don’t deserve to be paid enough.

It shouldn’t matter what your job is, if you are putting in 8 hours of work, 5 days a week. You deserve to make enough money to live on, nobody is saying you should make enough money to buy a house or an SUV or eat steak every night. Just that you deserve to be able to live. Yes people making min wage are still going to need to get roommates. To take the bus to work and school. But it’s a start. It’s better than sharing a couch in a 1 bedroom rental split 3 ways, eating Mr Noodles for all your meals.

We want Canadians to start families, to invest more heavily in the economy, we need to provide them a means to do so.
Sorry but not just Kelowna or BC,Canada has become country where ripping people off is normal, look at price gas gouging,high rents,low wages,soon that will effect society in a bid way,corruption is getting bigger and bigger,it’s controlling us more and more,ICBC rates going up,carbon tax,we don’t have a democracy anymore,JT is distroying that.
I don’t get where this skill bs is coming from. You think people at fast food aren’t working hard? On their feet for 8 hours often without breaks, in a hazardous and stressful environment. Hot kitchen, a dozen things beeping, a constant rush to keep up with orders and push them out as fast as possible. Many of these workers are likely working harder, and more skilled at their job than you at yours. But after 40 hours a week of this, they don’t deserve to make enough money to afford rent? Get off your high horse.

How about people doing hard labour? Maybe they don’t have a lot of skills, but you’re exploiting their bodies to move things around. You think they aren’t working harder than someone sitting at a desk punching some numbers? That after 40 hours of back breaking labour they shouldn’t be able to afford a decent meal? Or a vehicle to drive home in?

Why should we stop shaming business owners? Any business paying minimum wage is literally saying to it’s employees “We would pay you less but it would be illegal”. If a business is gonna cry about min wage, then they shouldn’t be in business. Like the Calgary restaurant that closed recently because it had to pay a higher min wage (and bragged about their chandeliers, fireplaces, and 45$ steaks). When businesses get their priorities straight, they can pay a proper wage and salary. Or they can get out of business and work for someone else who is capable of paying properly.

[Fancy]

A response to the original situation:

Tim Hortons has lashed out at franchise owners who have cut paid breaks and other perks for their employees by calling the moves reckless, as finger-pointing over Ontario's minimum-wage hike escalates.

A day after Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said that the children of Tim Hortons co-founders were bullying employees at their two stores in Cobourg, Ont., by cutting benefits after the hourly minimum wage was raised to $14 on Jan. 1, the Oakville-based company said store owners were jeopardizing the reputation of the iconic doughnut chain through their actions.

"Tim Hortons [employees] should never be used to further an agenda or be treated as just an 'expense.' This is completely unacceptable," the company said in a statement on Friday. "These recent actions by a few restaurant owners … do not reflect the values of our brand."

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report- ... e37513737/

[kgcayenne]

This article was from Jan 5th, 2018. Here I thought you had found an actual update. Things have been pretty quiet, it seems.