As others have suggested, in your explanation letter, I would suggest adding references from other co-workers and anybody else you can get hold off. Especially coworkers higher up in the management chain. Give their contact info so that the visa officer can contact them directly and clear his/her doubts. Also, make sure the references that you are giving are willing to take the time out and talk to the visa officer if and when they call.neorol said:Well, my experience is different. If you are on OWP it means you are spouse or PGWP holder and you are an immigrant with mostly no family and help. It puts you into a situation when you need to accept a lower wage in order to survive and stay in the country. Employers know your situation and believe me, there are many who use it against you when they negotiate your wage. All I said was that the ESDC occupational minimum wage should be mandatory for employers when they hire temporary foreign workers.
One of my friend had a bad experience with this. His reference was driving when he got the call and was distracted when answering questions. This gave the visa officer an impression that he is not being forthcoming and something is fishy. The visa officer refused his application based on the fact that he was NOT convinced that he worked at that company and performed those duties.
Also, if it was a small company, chances are you knew the owner since you were working at a managerial role. Might be worth while reaching out to him/her and asking him/her to be your reference.
All the best.