Saskatchewan eatery owner pleads guilty to charging employee to work for them

A Saskatchewan eatery owner has pleaded guilty to requiring a foreign employee to pay a $12,000 fee to maintain their job at Guac Mexi Grill in Moose Jaw, according to prosecutors. The employee's continued employment was a condition of the payment, which was sought to facilitate their permanent resident status. Dyan Jeny Enterprises, the parent company of the grill, was convicted and ordered to pay an additional $7,000 in fines on top of the $12,000 restitution to the worker.

This marks the first conviction under the province's foreign worker protection legislation, which has been updated with significantly harsher penalties for violations. The new legislation increases the maximum penalty to $1.25 million, up from $100,000 in the previous act, which was replaced in July 2024. Guac Mexi Grill, an Ontario-based Tex-Mex-styled fast food chain with locations across Canada, has not yet responded to inquiries from Global News.