Getting paid as a temporary worker isn't complicated, but it's different from a regular job in a few specific ways — and those differences are exactly where confusion comes from. Here are all of them.
Getting paid as a temporary worker is not complicated, but it is different from a regular job in a few specific ways — and those differences are where confusion and disputes come from. This covers all of them.
The agency does. Not the company whose building you work in.
7Sardar is your legal employer. We hire you, we pay you, we take off your source deductions and remit them, we accrue your vacation pay, and we carry your workers' compensation coverage. The business you're placed with directs your work day to day, but they are not your employer and they don't issue your pay.
Practically, this means: pay questions come to us, not to the supervisor on the floor. Timesheet disagreements come to us. Your tax slip comes from us.
You should be told your exact hourly rate before you accept an assignment. If you weren't, ask before your first shift — not after your first pay.
Things that legitimately change what you earn on an assignment:
Things that should never change what you earn: a fee for getting the job, a charge for being placed, or a deduction you didn't agree to and that isn't required by law.
Your gross pay is hours × rate. Your net pay — what lands in your account — is that minus deductions. The normal, legally required ones are:
Those are the standard ones and they are not optional for anyone. If you see a deduction on your stub you don't recognise, ask us to explain it — you're entitled to an explanation of every line.
The federal and provincial TD1 forms determine how much income tax is taken off. Filled in wrong, you can have too much tax deducted all year and only get it back at tax time. If you're not sure, ask us — it takes two minutes to check.
Temporary workers earn vacation pay. It doesn't disappear because the work is short-term.
Depending on the province and your length of service, vacation pay is calculated as a percentage of your earnings, and for short assignments it's commonly paid out with each pay rather than banked. Look for it as a separate line on your pay stub. Statutory holiday entitlement also exists, with eligibility rules that vary by province.
The rates and rules differ between Québec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and they change. Ask us for the specific figures that apply to you, or check with the labour standards body in your province — we list them all here.
This is where most pay problems start, and it's the easiest to prevent.
Depending on the site, your hours are captured by their clock system, by a paper sheet signed by a supervisor, or by reporting them to us. Whichever it is:
You should know, from the start: which day you're paid, what period that pay covers, and how you receive it. Direct deposit is normal and is the fastest and safest method.
Your pay stub should show your hours, your rate, gross pay, each deduction separately, vacation pay, and net pay. Keep them — or at least keep them accessible. They are the evidence if anything ever needs correcting.
At tax time you'll get a T4 from us, and if you worked in Québec, also a Relevé 1. If you worked for more than one employer during the year, you'll receive a slip from each and you report all of them. Make sure we have your current address in February — a slip sent to an old address is the most common reason people file late.
| Problem | Do this |
|---|---|
| Hours on your pay are short | Send us your own record of the shifts. This is why you keep one. Usually a timesheet that didn't get submitted or approved |
| Rate is lower than you were told | Call us the day you see it. Say what you were told, and by whom. Don't wait for the next pay to see if it corrects itself |
| Overtime missing | Tell us who authorised the extra hours and when. Same-day acknowledgement from the site is what makes this quick |
| Pay is late | Check first whether your timesheet was submitted on time, then call us |
| A deduction you don't recognise | Ask us to explain the line. You're entitled to know what every deduction is for |
| No pay stub | Ask. A stub isn't optional and you shouldn't have to reconstruct your own pay |
In every case: raise it the same week, in writing if you can, and keep it factual. Problems raised early get fixed. Problems raised three months later become arguments about memory.
Nothing. Applying is free, being placed is free, and staying on our roster is free. We are paid by the employer, never by you.
If any agency, anywhere, asks you to pay a fee to be found work, or to be placed in a job, treat it as a serious warning sign and check your rights before you pay anything. In Québec there are specific rules on this, and there are labour standards bodies in all three provinces you can contact directly — listed in your rights as a temp worker.
Also useful: what to expect on your first assignment and how to get hired faster.
Wage, vacation, overtime and holiday rules differ between Québec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and change over time. This page is general information — for the figures and rules that apply to you right now, ask us or contact the CNESST, Nova Scotia Labour Standards, or WorkSafeNB and NB Employment Standards.
The agency, not the company whose building you work in. 7Sardar is your legal employer: we hire you, pay you, remit your source deductions, accrue your vacation pay and carry your workers' compensation coverage. Pay questions, timesheet disagreements and your tax slip all come to us.
The standard legally required ones: federal and provincial income tax, Canada Pension Plan or the Québec Pension Plan, and Employment Insurance plus the Québec Parental Insurance Plan for Québec employees. If you see a deduction you don't recognise, you're entitled to have every line explained.
Yes. Vacation pay doesn't disappear because work is short-term. It's calculated as a percentage of earnings, and on short assignments it's commonly paid out with each pay rather than banked — look for it as a separate line on your stub. Statutory holiday entitlement also exists, with rules that vary by province.
Keep your own record — date, start, finish, breaks — on your phone, every shift. Know which method your site uses to capture hours, get any overtime acknowledged the same day by whoever authorised it, and submit your timesheet before the cut-off. Late timesheets are the most common reason a pay is late.
No. Applying, being placed and staying on the roster are all free — the agency is paid by the employer, never by the worker. If any agency asks you to pay to be found work or placed in a job, treat it as a serious warning sign and contact your provincial labour standards body before paying anything.
A T4, and also a Relevé 1 if you worked in Québec. If you worked for more than one employer during the year you'll get a slip from each and report all of them. Make sure the agency has your current address in February — a slip sent to an old address is the most common reason people file late.
Call us the same week. Problems raised early get fixed; problems raised months later become arguments about memory.