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
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.