Is this fair? Are they allowed?

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Quiet Stranger

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Feb 4, 2006
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Okay so I've been working at a pizza place as a Pizza Delivery Boy for more then 4 weeks now (I think this may be my fifth week) and I'm still getting paid 7.50 (Canadian Dollars) an hour (the minimum wage here (in Nova Scotia) is just a bit above 9 dollars) now I asked my boss at the end of my last shift why I'm not getting paid exactly minimum wage and he said it's because "I'm not up to speed yet" well what the hell does that mean? I'm a driver, all I gotta do is look at the map, find out where the street is, and I'm on my way!! So my question to you Escapists is, can they do that, do I need to get in touch with the Labor Board?

I also don't get much of my debit tips either, they either take 15% of every debit tip or I have to pay 15%, so basically, I got a 10 dollar debit tip one time and saw nothing of it, instead I had to pay $1.50 at the end of my shift because of it, also we're (the place I work, I don't know if it's all locations or just the one I work at) the only Pizza Place that doesn't give the whole debit tip to their drivers
 

Insanum

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May 26, 2009
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Minimum wage is law. Anything above that is performance based.

Report his ass. Dont tell him otherwise he'll make up some jackass reason to fire you - Just report him.

In the UK, Employers are not allowed to bolster wages with Tips, It was made illegal to do so about a year ago - As Tips are supposed to be bonuses, Not wages.

I cant comment on Nova scotian Law though.
 

CloggedDonkey

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Nov 4, 2009
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weird, I'm reading The Jungle right now, which is about this exact thing(and other things, mainly because of capitalism).

but I would say wait another week and see. contact the Labor Board after that.
 

WalkNasty

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Oct 29, 2009
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if you are supposed to get tips then they dont have to pay you minimum wage (at least in america). kind of like a waiter, they get paid diddily but they get to keep the tips
 

likalaruku

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Nov 29, 2008
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Well, in America, you can sue for getting less than minimum wage. I'm going to assume it works that way in Canada too, but can you afford a lawyer? It's not oworth it, he'd pay you off to drop the suit, then quickly fire you. Just get a new job & warn peope not to try to work there, maybe even get a newspaper interview tossing around names & telling of injustices; newspapers are desperate & will print anything offered to them.
 

Quiet Stranger

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AjimboB said:
Well, I wouldn't know anything about Nova Scotian law, but here in America, that would definitely be something to contact the labor board about.
Yeah basically his reasoning behind me not getting paid 9...whatever (or 8 dollars, I found out one of my coworkers is only getting paid 8 dollars an hour!) is that because I'm a new driver I'm not as good as the other drivers?? Okay yeah it confuses me too, that's no reason not to give me minimum wage, how would I even get into contact with the Labor Board (this is the first time I'm really doing this)
 

dududf

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Aug 31, 2009
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What they are doing is perfectly legal.

What they are doing is paying you the training wage, they are implying you are still in training and as such not working as well as a proper employee. McDonalds does it as well. Doing this bypasses minimum wage, within reason (not 5 cents an hour)

AS to the stealing of tips, not too sure.
 

Billion Backs

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Apr 20, 2010
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Actually minimum wage is NOT law in some cases. I believe that waiters in restaurants can get less then minimum wage legally because it's assumed that they get enough tips to remove the difference.

And maybe they consider you "still in training", and in that case it's probably perfectly legal to pay you less.

If they have no way of tracking it, just steal some of the tips man =p
 

Dr.Sean

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Apr 5, 2009
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I think some union bosses and communists and such would like to have a word with him, and by word with him, I mean hang him from a tree.
 

Naheal

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Before you report him wait for just a moment.

What are the labor laws in Canada? Do they include such things as leeway for tips in some jobs? If so, then you'll probably have to report your tips and he'd have to pay you whatever doesn't come up to minimum wage.
 

Billion Backs

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Dr.Sean said:
I think some union bosses and communists and such would like to have a word with him, and by word with him, I mean hang him from a tree.
Unions are often way overrated. In some cases they're a bunch of gangsters, nothing more... Hell, in some cases I'd rather go union-less then have them steal a % of my pay for benefits I won't need or see.
 

Twad

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Quiet Stranger said:
Okay so I've been working at a pizza place as a Pizza Delivery Boy for more then 4 weeks now (I think this may be my fifth week) and I'm still getting paid 7.50 (Canadian Dollars) an hour -snip-
AFAIK, its -completely- illegal. The only way to bypass minimum wave is if you work on "tip", and in that case you wage will be marginally less.
Hes basically abusing your ignorance of your rights. Report him.

.. and the worst thing is, i know that kind of BS is VERY common, even i got "abused" by one of my ex-employer due to my own ignorance and his greed.

Learn your rights people! Information is power!
 

Quiet Stranger

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dududf said:
What they are doing is perfectly legal.

What they are doing is paying you the training wage, they are implying you are still in training and as such not working as well as a proper employee. McDonalds does it as well.

AS to the stealing of tips, not to sure.
Well what is there to train? (as I said) I know how to do things while I'm in the place (clean floors, wash dishes, change paper rolls, make boxes, cut the cheese (no fart joke intended) sometimes they even make me go buy something from a store (like meat for pizzas or super glue for a broken chair (those both happened)) plus all I have to do is look at a map, find the location of the street and then drive there, that simple, plus I'm a guy with short term memory loss (well not exactly but I don't have the best memory when it comes to streets, I'll remember the street names but not where they're located)
 

Mortons4ck

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I'm not familiar with Canadian Law, but I do recall some provision in American law there are some states (like Michigan) where an employer can pay you less than minimum wage during the first 90 days (which you would most likely fall under). Also if paid in tips, then the employeer can pay you less so (what they pay you) + (average tips) = (minimum wage).

I would imagine they have similar laws in Canada, but you should check with your local labor board.

edit: looks like I was ninja'd so I guess its true.
 

Quiet Stranger

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WalkNasty said:
if you are supposed to get tips then they dont have to pay you minimum wage (at least in america). kind of like a waiter, they get paid diddily but they get to keep the tips
Well usually when it comes to cash tips (which we get to keep) are crap, and they take 15% of our debit tips (which I personally think they take everything of the debit tip because I've never seen anything from any of my debit tips)
 

mokes310

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Seek legal counsel. Unless someone here is a practicing advocate in Canada, all other suggestions are null.
 
Aug 25, 2009
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If you are of the right age to receive minimum wage (I don't know how things work in Nova Scotia, but minimum wage for under-18s in Britain works differently for over 18s) then you legally have to be paid minimum wage. It's the law, and there is no justification for not being paid it.
 

Quiet Stranger

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Naheal said:
Before you report him wait for just a moment.

What are the labor laws in Canada? Do they include such things as leeway for tips in some jobs? If so, then you'll probably have to report your tips and he'd have to pay you whatever doesn't come up to minimum wage.
Could you explain this one to me? What's leeway in tips mean? (you have to understand this is my first job where I get tips)