Company and director fined for not paying former employee

A Windsor, Ont., company has been fined by the Ontario Court of Justice after withholding compensation from a former employee.

Paws and Claws Pet Nutrition Centre, a pet nutrition services provider operating in Windsor, had some wages, holiday pay and vacation pay still owing to an employee who had left the company. The employee was also owed for unauthorized deductions, including an “administrative fee,” bringing the total owing to $917. After Paws and Claws failed to pay the employee, the Ministry of Labour issued an order to pay on Jan. 30, 2006. The company ignored the ministry’s order and the matter was brought to trial.

The court found Paws and Claws’ director, Corey Samuel, guilty of authorizing, permitting or acquiescing in the company’s failure to comply with the ministry’s order to pay the employee, an offence under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, and was fined $4,000. The company was fined $8,000.

The court added a victim fine surcharge of 25 per cent in accordance with the Provincial Offences Act, as well as the actual amount of wages, holiday pay and vacation pay owed to the former employee.

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