September 21, 2005 Source: Simon Fraser University:
http://www.sfu.ca/mediapr/news_releases/archives/news09210501.htm Questions raised over new labour rules and youth protection Contact: Shannon Daub, 604.801.5121 ext 226; shannon@policyalternatives.ca Stephen McBride, 604.291.4375, stephen_mcbride@sfu.ca September 21, 2005 A study by Simon Fraser University political science professor Stephen McBride raises questions about the effectiveness of new employment regulations in protecting youth in the workplace. Under the new regulations, which allow employers to hire youth as young as 12, certain conditions have to be met, such as direct supervision of employees aged 12-14 by an adult at all times. McBride's study notes that several of these conditions are regularly violated, leaving child workers less protected in BC than in other Canadian jurisdictions. “The province's rationale for changing BC's child labour rules, which used to require a permit from the Employment Standards Branch for a child to be hired, was that the system wasn't effective,” says McBride. “But this study raises serious doubts about whether the new rules are even being followed, and tells us that a significant number of children are being left vulnerable to harm.” McBride, the lead author of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) study, based his findings on the results of a survey of public school students. “The findings related to children aged 12-14 are of particular concern,” says McBride. Among the findings: 70% reported they worked without supervision some or all of the time; Nearly half (48%) reported that their parents had not evaluated the health and safety of the workplace; More than half (58%) reported that their employer did not receive written approval from their parents. Under the new employment regulations, one parent or guardian must consent to an employer hiring a youth aged 14 or under. McBride is available to expand on his study Child and Youth Employment Standards: The Experience of Young Workers Under BC's New Policy Regime. The study is part of the economic security project, a joint research initiative of the CCPA and SFU. Download the study at www.policyalternatives.ca. -30-
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