Working

During your first few days of work, you will receive information on your job duties, hours of work, who you will report to and how you will be paid.  It is important to ask questions if there is anything you do not understand. 

Some jobs have a written job description.  This includes a list of the general tasks and the responsibilities of the position.  Typically, the job description states who you will report to, the qualifications you need in the job and the salary range. 

It may also identify employee benefits, such as holidays, pensions and medical benefits.  The job description is important, because it tells you what is expected of you on the job.  Not all tasks will be identified, but they are usually included as "other related duties."

Hours of work vary from workplace to workplace.  In some organizations, people work during the day, Monday to Friday, with weekends and evenings off.  Other organizations, such as hospitals and factories, are open 24 hours a day and need people to work in shifts.

Whatever the hours, it is important that you arrive on time and work the full hours scheduled.  Saskatchewan employers expect you to telephone if you are going to be late or if you are sick and cannot come to work.  You will need to ask ahead of time for vacation, time off for religious or family reasons, etc.  In some cases, the employer may require that you make up lost time.

In Saskatchewan, most workplaces are organized hierarchically.  Employees are expected to follow their supervisor's directions and to use the proper channels of authority when making decisions, seeking information, or dealing with problems.  Smaller workplaces may be less formal.  

You may report to a male or female boss.  Your co-workers may be both male and female and from a variety of cultures.  Everyone will be seen as equally valuable people and employees.

Most employers value teamwork and will expect you to work well with others.  They also expect that you will be able to work on your own with limited supervision.  If you are able to deal with conflict and resolve problems within the workplace, you will probably be more successful.

Most employees are paid either by cheque or direct deposit to your bank account.  You can exchange your paycheque for cash at a bank or financial institution where you have an account.  If you arrange for direct deposit, your pay is electronically deposited in your bank account on regular paydays.  Most employers will have one method of paying all employees and you may not have other options.

Under Saskatchewan law, the employer will make deductions from your paycheque for income tax payments, and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Employment Insurance (EI) contributions.  There may also be other deductions, such as contributions to pension plans, union dues, life insurance or private health insurance plans.

On your paycheque, you will see both your gross and net pay.  Gross pay is the amount you have earned before the deductions are made.  Net pay is the amount remaining after the deductions.  Net pay is the amount of money you take home.

For example, if your wage is $18 per hour, for a two-week period (working 40 hours per week) your gross income would be $1,440.  Your employer will deduct (at a minimum) income tax, CPP and EI from this cheque.  The deductions for these three things will be approximately $312.  This means that your net income, or the money you receive on your pay cheque, will be approximately $1,128.  Depending on your place of work, you may have other deductions for things like union dues, life insurance or private health insurance plans.

If you have questions about your pay, you can ask your supervisor to help you understand what is shown on the pay cheque.

All Canadian residents who are old enough to work must file an income tax return each year.  This is the law.

If you are working for an employer, you will fill out a form that is used to determine approximately what income tax you will need to pay.  Then the employer will subtract a percentage of your pay cheque and send that amount to the federal and provincial (or territorial) governments.  

At the end of the year, you will complete an income tax return, which will help you calculate the exact amount of tax you need to pay and compare it with the amount that has already been paid.  If too much has been deducted, you will get a refund.  If you paid too little, you will have to pay more.  Visit the Canada Revenue Agency for more information on income tax.

If you work for yourself, or are paid in cash for jobs, you need to keep track of the amounts you earn and report these on your income tax return for that year.  Depending on your total income, you may then need to pay income tax on these amounts.

A small part of your paycheque goes into this plan.  Your employer also contributes to the plan.  When you retire, you will receive some money each month (called a pension) from the federal government.  The amount will vary based on how many years you worked in Canada and how much money you made.

These plans also include pensions for the spouses of deceased pensioners, disability pensions, and death benefits.  Visit Service Canada for more information on the Canada Pension Plan. 

A small percentage of your paycheque will be deducted each month to go into an Employment Insurance account.  Your employer also contributes to the account.  Employment Insurance provides money to eligible, unemployed Canadian residents for a short time while they look for a new job or take some training to learn new skills.  To qualify for EI, you must have paid into EI and worked a required number of hours.  Visit Service Canada for more information on Employment Insurance.  

An amount of money may be deducted from your pay for other benefits (for example, life insurance, medical plans, a dental plan, or a private pension plan).  If these benefits are taxable benefits, it means that you may have to pay some income tax based on the dollar value of the benefits, and you will report the total amount of these benefits on your income tax form.  

Some workers in Saskatchewan are members of unions.  Unions allow groups of workers to negotiate wages and working conditions as a group.  Depending on your workplace, you may be required to become a member of a union and a small amount of money will be deducted to pay for the union dues.  On your tax return, you will be able to use the amount you paid to reduce the total amount of income tax that you are responsible for paying.