Businesses battle labour shortage with creative incentives
For some businesses, the answer to difficult labour shortages is a cash bonus for anyone who takes the job – but even that isn’t enough sometimes.
It's worse in some industries than others, but those businesses struggling to find staff say they're working harder than ever and trying new ways to attract workers.
At Lil Z’s Pizza in Ottawa’s ByWard Market, finding staff to work in the kitchen isn’t easy. When a prospective employee walks through the door, they have all the power.
"If someone shows up for the interview we're like, 'Okay, you're hired.' You know, him or her, they get the job," said manager Johny Bonney.
A new report from Statistics Canada describes the labour crisis – business are more likely to increase wages or find other incentives to attract workers.
"We put it out there, 'Hey, we'll give signing bonuses,' some extra incentive to even just get people to apply," said Bonney. "At one point we had $1000 on the table."
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) says the restaurant industry may be the worst hit.
"At the national level 55 per cnt of small businesses are saying that they are affected by labour shortages," said Jasmin Guenette, VP of National Affairs with CFIB.
"Today we have 37,000 jobs going unfilled, costing our economy billions of dollars," said Ontario’s labour minister Monte McNaughton.
The health care sector and airline industry are struggling too.
McNaughton says Ontario should be looking outside of the country for help.
"We need a new deal from Ottawa when it comes to immigration. It's a tool we have to help fill shortages," said McNaughton.
With no imminent or easy solution, businesses like Little Z’s Pizza are sometimes left teetering on the edge.
"We're always one staff away from disaster," said Bonney.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.