Help Please! Working more than 20 hours in just one week accidentally.

[headleschick]

Hi,
I have been stressed out for the last couple of hours on what to do about this situation.

So I am on my last semester of University and I really needed a part-time job to gain some experience so I can find a full-time job once I graduate. After working really hard I found it. Initially I got like 5 - 9 hours per week and it has been like that for 4 months now.

Since I wanted my manager to give me more shifts, I worked really sincerely and really hard to build my reputation. Finally I started getting more shifts and for the last 2 weeks I got around 13-15 hours of work per week. This week today I realized that I am actually going to be working more than 20 hours if I go on with the schedule. So immediately I told my manager that I can't be working more than 20. Manager told me everyone does it so it's ok. But ofcourse it was eating into my conscience so I said I can't do it. The manager told me he/she was too busy to change the schedule for this week and the next one, so If I wanted to work 20 hours I would have to find someone else to cover. I tried my best to give my shift to someone else but they were either working or can't cover for me.

I will be trying again to give my shift to others next week and it looks like they will be able to cover for me. My worry is about this week. I can't skip work or have others cover it. I will be working 7 hours more than my limit. But from next week on I will be back on track working less than 20 hours.

Is this acceptable? Can I get away with this considering that I will be working far less than 80 hours this month?
I risk loosing my job if I am absent, but also know that this is illegal. I don't understand how is this fair for me...It's been stressing me out. What should I do? Can't I be overlooked for this?

 

[k.h.p.]

It's not acceptable, you can't average it, and it's not fair for your manager to do this.

It's also unlikely that IRCC would ever find out unless you were audited.

 

[Humpholito24]

Hi,
I have been stressed out for the last couple of hours on what to do about this situation.

So I am on my last semester of University and I really needed a part-time job to gain some experience so I can find a full-time job once I graduate. After working really hard I found it. Initially I got like 5 - 9 hours per week and it has been like that for 4 months now.

Since I wanted my manager to give me more shifts, I worked really sincerely and really hard to build my reputation. Finally I started getting more shifts and for the last 2 weeks I got around 13-15 hours of work per week. This week today I realized that I am actually going to be working more than 20 hours if I go on with the schedule. So immediately I told my manager that I can't be working more than 20. Manager told me everyone does it so it's ok. But ofcourse it was eating into my conscience so I said I can't do it. The manager told me he/she was too busy to change the schedule for this week and the next one, so If I wanted to work 20 hours I would have to find someone else to cover. I tried my best to give my shift to someone else but they were either working or can't cover for me.

I will be trying again to give my shift to others next week and it looks like they will be able to cover for me. My worry is about this week. I can't skip work or have others cover it. I will be working 7 hours more than my limit. But from next week on I will be back on track working less than 20 hours.

Is this acceptable? Can I get away with this considering that I will be working far less than 80 hours this month?
I risk loosing my job if I am absent, but also know that this is illegal. I don't understand how is this fair for me...It's been stressing me out. What should I do? Can't I be overlooked for this?

It is risky and dangerous. But as long as someone does not report you, or report yourself to IRCC. I would say you should be fine, but be careful. While in US, I use to be schedule more than 20 hrs a week and the manager knew, and I was like as long as I am not reported USCIS will never find out.
So, be careful and at the same time, you should be fine.

 

[k.h.p.]

It is risky and dangerous. But as long as someone does not report you, or report yourself to IRCC. I would say you should be fine, but be careful. While in US, I use to be schedule more than 20 hrs a week and the manager knew, and I was like as long as I am not reported USCIS will never find out.
So, be careful and at the same time, you should be fine.

That's pretty bad advice. The only way to be careful about this is to not work more than 20. Accepting it with a promise to be careful is a bad idea.

 

[Humpholito24]

That's pretty bad advice. The only way to be careful about this is to not work more than 20. Accepting it with a promise to be careful is a bad idea.

This advice is for this week only, he didn't find someone to cover his shift, if he doesn't show up, he will lose his job. Nothing can be done but being careful IRCC doesn't find out. This advice doesn't mean he should do it all through.

 

[headleschick]

Thank you very much to all those that replied. Seems like IRCC has a very low chance of finding out so it shouldn't matter if I work an extra 7 hours for just one week. My manager told me the same and showed me 3 of our other employees that has been doing it for 2 years now without getting caught. My manager told me I worry too much and assured me this is fine. I also got scolded when I showed hesitation and told me I won't survive this in this world this way. Seems like corruption is pretty normalized as you go into adulthood.

However, I gave the whole thing a lot of thought and decided against it. Even if I don't get caught, the fact that I will be committing a crime knowingly will haunt me for a very long time. I will be getting 2 days of "no show" and if next week I don't manage to find someone to cover my shifts, I will be fired. I asked very politely if I could be excused from work just one day, and I was harshly refused. Told me I should not dare think of skipping work. I offered to work for free to show that I will take responsibility and not burden the others for that one day. Again, manager told me that he/ she risks getting fired if he/ she allows me to go on the floor without pay as everything is monitored by the CCTV.

So now I just sit and wonder, was it legal for my manager to assign me more than 20 hours of work knowing I am an international student? Why did my manager assume I would be like the other students illegally working without asking me first? Pretty sure I will be called a whistle blower if I report my manager knowing he/ she is allowing illegal work ( which I won't. Not here to destroy other people's lives in their own difficult circumstances). Is this really part of being an adult? People around me are literally forcing me to act unethically...and my hard work is returned with me probably loosing my job. That's pretty funny.

Anyways, despite the disaster, I feel much less stressed. I should not have hesitated at all in rejecting more than 20 hours of work because one illegal action leads to a chain of illegal actions. I could not live with myself that way. Thanks again for replying to me.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thank you very much to all those that replied. Seems like IRCC has a very low chance of finding out so it shouldn't matter if I work an extra 7 hours for just one week. My manager told me the same and showed me 3 of our other employees that has been doing it for 2 years now without getting caught. My manager told me I worry too much and assured me this is fine. I also got scolded when I showed hesitation and told me I won't survive this in this world this way. Seems like corruption is pretty normalized as you go into adulthood.

However, I gave the whole thing a lot of thought and decided against it. Even if I don't get caught, the fact that I will be committing a crime knowingly will haunt me for a very long time. I will be getting 2 days of "no show" and if next week I don't manage to find someone to cover my shifts, I will be fired. I asked very politely if I could be excused from work just one day, and I was harshly refused. Told me I should not dare think of skipping work. I offered to work for free to show that I will take responsibility and not burden the others for that one day. Again, manager told me that he/ she risks getting fired if he/ she allows me to go on the floor without pay as everything is monitored by the CCTV.

So now I just sit and wonder, was it legal for my manager to assign me more than 20 hours of work knowing I am an international student? Why did my manager assume I would be like the other students illegally working without asking me first? Pretty sure I will be called a whistle blower if I report my manager knowing he/ she is allowing illegal work ( which I won't. Not here to destroy other people's lives in their own difficult circumstances). Is this really part of being an adult? People around me are literally forcing me to act unethically...and my hard work is returned with me probably loosing my job. That's pretty funny.

Anyways, despite the disaster, I feel much less stressed. I should not have hesitated at all in rejecting more than 20 hours of work because one illegal action leads to a chain of illegal actions. I could not live with myself that way. Thanks again for replying to me.

Report the employer.

 

[k.h.p.]

Yes, report the employer. Especially if they're regularly scheduling people more than 20 hours who cannot legally work it, they will keep doing that to you.

 

[Diamond42]

Hello all,

Please I need advice here. I am an International student and currently on a scheduled break, which means I can work full-time till class resumes. We are to resume on January 7th. My questions: can I still work full-time from today (January 2nd) up to Wednesday, January 6th? Will the hours I work after January 6th still count for more than 20 hours since its still the same week?

@legalfalcon and everyone, please help!

TIA

 

[legalfalcon]

Hello all,

Please I need advice here. I am an International student and currently on a scheduled break, which means I can work full-time till class resumes. We are to resume on January 7th. My questions: can I still work full-time from today (January 2nd) up to Wednesday, January 6th? Will the hours I work after January 6th still count for more than 20 hours since its still the same week?

@legalfalcon and everyone, please help!

TIA

See https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work/work-off-campus.html

How many hours you can work off campus
During regular school terms/semesters
You can work up to 20 hours per week.

During scheduled breaks in the school year
You can work full-time if you’re on a scheduled break, such as winter and summer holidays, or a fall or spring reading week. You’re free to work overtime or work 2 part-time jobs that add up to a higher than usual number of hours.

You must be a full-time student both before and after the break to work full-time.

You can’t work during a break that comes before you start your very first school semester.

How many hours count as full-time work
There is no set number of hours per week that counts as ‘full-time’ work. However, your employer(s) must follow all provincial laws on overtime pay and time between shifts.

If your program doesn’t have scheduled breaks
You can work up to 20 hours per week.

Working more than 20 hours per week is a violation of your study permit conditions. You can lose your student status for doing this, and may not be approved for a study or work permit in the future. You may also have to leave the country.

 

[bongoman]

Hello all,

Please I need advice here. I am an International student and currently on a scheduled break, which means I can work full-time till class resumes. We are to resume on January 7th. My questions: can I still work full-time from today (January 2nd) up to Wednesday, January 6th? Will the hours I work after January 6th still count for more than 20 hours since its still the same week?

@legalfalcon and everyone, please help!

TIA

Its fine its not a study week and no one is even looking for such micro things.

 

[Cwadhwa]

hey, im on a study permit, as all the classes are online, will it be okay if i work 40 hours- work
from home.

 

[Humpholito24]

hey, im on a study permit, as all the classes are online, will it be okay if i work 40 hours- work
from home.

I believe the answer is No.

 

[captainarabiia]

hey, im on a study permit, as all the classes are online, will it be okay if i work 40 hours- work
from home.

In Canada for a canadian employer? No.

 

[numbawan]

Hi everyone,
Let say I have worked more than 20 hours during sem break and that is totally fine.
Question is - How would the IRCC know and make sure that the more than 20 hours rendered was indeed during the break?