Island restaurants raise wages to address labour shortage
Like many restaurants across Vancouver Island, the Brentwood Bay Pub is dealing with a labour shortage, and is pulling out all the stops to recruit more staff.
Natasha Richardson, who manages the Brentwood Bay Resort, says the business is taking steps including increasing wages, providing larger bonuses for staff who successfully recruit new employees and providing stress pay for managers.
“Many managers are working excessive hours and a lot of days in a row, which is extraordinary to cope with,” she said Tuesday, noting the pub is hoping to hire 10 more staff.
The labour shortage in Greater Victoria has been exacerbated by how expensive it is to live in the area.
British Columbia’s minimum wage just went up last month to $15.20 per hour, but that doesn’t get close to Greater Victoria’s living wage, calculated by the Living Wage for families Campaign at $19.39 per hour for a family of four to get by, living in the area.
The cost of living makes it harder for restaurants to attract workers to fill entry-level positions, typically associated with lower wages, says Cliff Leir, who runs the Fol Epi bakeries.
In an effort to attract staff in the competitive labour market, Leir started paying staff a living wage of $20 an hour.
“It’s tough to live in this city,” Leir said. “Even with the minimum wage increase, it’s tough to make rent and live a satisfying life.”
He says he’s still hoping to hire a few more staff.
Bruce Williams, the head of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, says the labour shortage existed before the pandemic, and affects many industries. The shortage has only become worse because of COVID-19 restrictions impacting immigration and reducing the presence of college students, which has reduced the pool of potential workers.
Throw in folks leaving the hospitality industry after so many COVID-19-related layoffs and unpredictable shifts, and it all adds up to being a prime time for those now looking for work in the sector.
Sarj Dhaliwal heads up a Vancouver-based company that developed an app, called Wyrk, that helps pair employers looking for staff with workers seeking shifts.
“It’s kinda like a dating app,” she said Tuesday. “It's the same concept, except it's for workers. We connect – through our algorithms and AI – workers with hourly work.”
The company has been inundated with requests from businesses hoping to meet their matches, and with the labour shortage forecast well beyond the pandemic, it expects to stay busy.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.