Is Your Summer Job Ending? How to Prepare for Fall and Winter Work in the Okanagan
Key takeaways
If your summer job may end or your hours may drop, start looking now. Some fall and winter employers in the Okanagan begin recruiting before the summer season is over.
Seasonal workers may be eligible for Employment Insurance in some situations, but eligibility is not automatic. Service Canada determines that based on each application. If your job ends, check the official EI information promptly.
If you have a work permit, check the conditions before accepting another job. Open work permits and employer-specific work permits do not work the same way.
There is also free employment help available throughout the Okanagan through WorkBC and newcomer organizations in Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon and surrounding communities.
Finding work is one of the first priorities for many people arriving in the Okanagan. But something that can take time to understand when you are new here is just how seasonal the local job market can be.
Living in the valley, I have seen this transition happen every year. A lot of work in tourism, hospitality, food service, agriculture, recreation, parks and other service industries depends heavily on the season. Summer brings visitors, events, patios, orchards, outdoor activities and a lot more movement through the valley. Then September arrives, visitor traffic begins to slow, some businesses reduce hours and others start preparing for a quieter winter.
For people who worked steadily through the summer, this can be the moment when schedules begin to change or seasonal contracts approach their end. And after a difficult wildfire season like the one the Okanagan has experienced this year, with smoke and disruptions affecting travel and tourism, that uncertainty can feel even more noticeable.
If you think your summer job may slow down or end, September is a good time to start preparing for what comes next.
For newcomers, this transition can bring additional questions like: What happens if your employer lays you off? What is an ROE? Could you qualify for Employment Insurance? Can you simply accept another job if you are working in Canada on a work permit?
The goal of this guide is not to determine whether you personally qualify for a benefit or whether a particular employment rule applies to you. Those answers depend on individual circumstances. Instead, this article will help you understand what to ask, what to prepare and where to verify the official answer.
Start by finding out what is happening with your current job
One thing I would NOT do is assume that fewer shifts automatically mean that you have been fired or that your employment has officially ended. Seasonal businesses often change schedules significantly as demand changes.
If you see your hours beginning to fall, it is worth having a simple conversation with your employer. Ask whether your position is expected to continue through fall and winter, whether your hours are likely to change, whether your contract has a defined end date and whether there is any possibility of returning the following season. It is also useful to ask what documentation you should expect if your employment ends, including your Record of Employment.
British Columbia has specific Employment Standards rules around temporary layoffs, including conditions governing when they can occur and how long they can normally continue. Because those rules depend on the circumstances, I would not try to determine your rights based only on what happened to a coworker or friend.
If your employer tells you that you are being temporarily laid off, check the provincial information directly. Official source: Government of British Columbia — Temporary layoffs
One of the most useful things I have learned about working in the Okanagan is that the seasons overlap. It is easy to think that if your summer job finishes in October, October is when you should begin searching for something new. In reality, some winter employers begin recruiting well before winter arrives.
Big White, for example, recruits for a range of winter roles in food and beverage, housekeeping, retail, rentals, guest services and mountain operations. Different departments recruit at different times, and some hiring begins months before the winter season.
Near Penticton, Apex Mountain Resort says its seasonal winter positions are generally posted in late summer or early fall. SilverStar, near Vernon, also recruits across many different departments for its winter operations.
That does not mean everyone should suddenly start applying to ski resorts. The important lesson is broader than that. When one part of the Okanagan economy begins slowing down, another may already be preparing for its busy season.
This is why September can be a very useful month to start watching employers, even if you are still working.
Look at your skills, not only your current job title
Another mistake people can make when looking for work is searching only for exactly the same position they already have. If you worked in a restaurant during the summer, you may have developed experience in customer service, cash handling, food service, teamwork, inventory, cleaning procedures and working under pressure. Someone working in tourism may also have experience with reservations, sales, scheduling or helping customers solve problems.
Agriculture and outdoor work may involve equipment, transportation, logistics, maintenance, safety procedures or supervision. Those skills can often transfer to other industries.
Instead of searching only for one job title, think about the skills you actually use during your workday. Someone who has been working as a server, for example, might also look at customer service, retail, front desk, hospitality, food service or other positions where similar experience is valuable.
Use more than one place to search for work
Job websites such as Indeed and LinkedIn can be useful. I use them too. But if I were searching locally, I would not depend on only one platform.
A good place to add to your search is the Government of Canada's Job Bank. It allows you to search by location, occupation, job type and other filters, which makes it useful for checking opportunities separately in Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon and surrounding communities.
WorkBC is another important resource because it is more than a job board. WorkBC Centres may provide job-search support, resume assistance, interview preparation, career planning, workshops and other employment services depending on your circumstances and eligibility.
If you have been sending many applications without getting interviews, talking with an employment counsellor may be more useful than simply sending another group of applications with the same resume.
If your work ends, understand what EI is before you need it
Employment Insurance, usually called EI, is one of those Canadian systems that many newcomers first hear about through coworkers. You may hear someone say, “You will get EI because you are seasonal,” or “Everyone applies for EI during winter.”
Service Canada explains that EI regular benefits may be available to eligible workers who lose employment through no fault of their own, and examples can include a shortage of work or seasonal layoffs. However, that does not mean every seasonal worker automatically qualifies.
Eligibility depends on the circumstances of each application, and Service Canada makes that determination.
The most useful thing to know beforehand is what to do if your employment actually ends. Service Canada currently advises people to apply for EI as soon as they stop working. It also says that you do not need to wait until you receive your Record of Employment before submitting the application.
If your job ends, check the current Service Canada instructions rather than assuming someone else's EI experience will apply to you.
What is an ROE?
ROE stands for Record of Employment. This is another Canadian term that many newcomers encounter only when they suddenly need it. The ROE contains employment information that Service Canada uses when administering Employment Insurance.
Employers generally issue an ROE when there is an interruption of earnings, according to federal rules. Electronic ROEs can also be viewed through your My Service Canada Account.
You do not need to memorize the different codes or become an expert in how the document works. The important thing is simply knowing that if your employment ends or your earnings are interrupted, the ROE may become an important part of the EI process.
If you have a work permit, check it before changing employers
There is another important question that Canadian citizens and permanent residents normally do not have to think about: Does my immigration status allow me to work for this new employer?
Not all work permits are the same.
IRCC explains that people holding a valid open work permit can generally work for different eligible employers in Canada, subject to any restrictions shown on the permit.
An employer-specific work permit works differently. If your permit is tied to a particular employer and you want to change jobs or employers, IRCC says you generally need to apply for a new work permit if you are eligible.
IRCC also has a process under which some workers changing employers may request authorization to begin working for the new employer while their new permit application is being processed.
The important point is that submitting an application does not automatically mean you can immediately start the new job. Check the conditions on your permit and follow the current IRCC instructions for your situation.
If your situation is complicated, this is one area where it can be worth getting advice from an authorized immigration professional rather than relying on social media comments or another person's experience.
There is free employment help in the Okanagan
We do not have to figure out the entire job search alone. There are organizations across the Okanagan that provide employment and newcomer support.
In Kelowna and the Central Okanagan, WorkBC Kelowna provides employment services and job-search support. KCR Community Resources, Immigrant Services also works with newcomers and offers assistance with things such as résumés, cover letters, job searches and interview preparation.
In Penticton and the South Okanagan, South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services (SOICS) provides settlement and employment-related support for newcomers. WorkBC services are also available throughout the South Okanagan.
Because programs, office hours and eligibility requirements can change, check directly with the organization before visiting.
Seasonal work is part of life in the Okanagan
For someone arriving from another country, seasonal employment can initially feel unusual or unstable. But it is also part of the rhythm of the Okanagan economy.
Summer tourism, agriculture and outdoor activities create certain kinds of opportunities. Winter tourism creates others. Many year-round businesses also change staffing levels depending on the season and customer demand.
In the Okanagan, the end of summer does not necessarily mean the end of work, it often means a transition into a different season and a different job market. A little preparation in September can make the change into fall and winter much easier to manage.
Thank you for visiting us today and reading until the end. If you want to find more useful information for our community in the Okanagan, please visit our blog.
