Newmarket, ON – Equinox Centre For Natural Health Inc., a Newmarket Spa, was fined $12,000 for violating the Employment Standards Act by ignoring orders to pay wages. Fred Phillips, the company’s director, was fined $5,000 in relation to the same violation.

On November 1, 2006, four former spa employees filed claims with the Ministry of Labour for wages owing to them after their termination. An Employment Standards officer determined that the company owed its former employees $4,714.13 in total and issued four orders to pay wages. The company never complied with the orders.

Equinox Centre For Natural Health Inc. was found guilty of four counts of failing to comply with an order issued by an Employment Standards officer. In addition to the $12,000 fine, the court ordered the company to pay its former employees $4,714.13 in outstanding wages.

Fred Phillips was found guilty of four counts of permitting the company to ignore an order issued by an Employment Standards officer and fined $5,000.

The fines were imposed by Justice of the Peace Carol Seglins. In addition to the fines, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.