Facts about Tim Hortons and the Temporary Foreign Worker program

At Tim Hortons, we believe every team member deserves respect.

Recently, we have seen troubling incidents of hateful behaviour, both online and in our restaurants, directed at people based on assumptions about who “looks Canadian.” This is unacceptable. No one in our restaurants, or in Canada, should ever be harassed for who they are.

Across the country, about 100,000 team members work in 3,800 Tim Hortons restaurants. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and of the restaurant owners who provide meaningful jobs for so many people, including young Canadians entering the workforce.

There has been misunderstanding recently about the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program and how often it is used. The facts are clear:

• More than 95% of Tim Hortons employees are hired locally.
  
• Less than 5% of team members are hired through the TFW program, which is a federal, tightly regulated program that requires employers to prove a labour shortage before any application can be approved.
  
• TFW applications are not allowed in regions with higher unemployment rates or below required provincial wage thresholds.
  
• Hiring with the Temporary Foreign Worker program is not a cheaper option. Owners receive no government subsidies, they pay competitive wages, and often cover additional costs such as travel. Hiring locally is always the simpler and more cost-effective option when local candidates are available.

Local employees at Tim Hortons include Canadians born here, new Canadian citizens, students, seniors, permanent residents, international students, and people with valid Canadian work permits. These individuals make up the overwhelming majority of our workforce and are here now, legally allowed to work in Canada.

However, in some smaller and rural communities, there are simply not enough local applicants for open positions. In those cases, restaurant owners may turn to the TFW program to help keep their restaurants open and serving their communities, often 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This challenge is not unique to Tim Hortons. Restaurants Canada estimates there are 70,000 unfilled roles across the restaurant sector nationwide. Currently, Tim Hortons has open roles in 1,700 restaurants, and our owners work hard to hire locally by posting about open positions in their restaurants, on timhortons.ca/careers, in local media, and across employment platforms.

We are proud that Tim Hortons restaurant owners across Canada continue to be strong community leaders, supporting local initiatives, youth sports, Smile Cookie, Camp Day, and providing meaningful employment and skill-building opportunities. Their restaurants are community hubs, and it is not uncommon to see owners working shoulder-to-shoulder with their teams to provide the welcoming experience guests expect.

Everyone at Tim Hortons deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued. We remain committed to upholding these principles in every restaurant across Canada.