Employee Information

Payroll

We pay our employees bi-weekly, through electronic fund transfers, and will email your pay stub to your email account so you can ensure you have a copy. If we do make an error, please let us know, and we can correct the issue immediately. If you would prefer a check and paper copy of your pay stub, we can accommodate.

Payment breakdown

We pay our employees by a Piece Rate Basis. This means the rate of pay is based on the measurable quantity of work completed. Workers get paid by the tree. If you do not surpass the equivalent of minimum wage, you will be topped up to meet the minimum wage requirements of per hour worked in the pay period.Vacation pay and Statutory Holiday pay are in addition to the tree price. This is called a ++system. Other systems of pay are by a day rate and hourly. We pay 100% of your earnings every two weeks. Flagging tape and cache tarps are provided by the company. Refer to the silviculture.pdf for more information. 

Fire fighting workers are paid by the hour. This rate is increased by having certified tickets such as your DTA, Crew Leader, OFA1 and OFA3.

Season/Shift Breakdown

Tree Planting

We target anywhere from 50 to 75 planting days each season. Our seasons typically include 40-50 day spring plant, followed by a 20-30 day summer plant. In our southern regions of operation, the start date of our season can be as early as April 1st, while the interior regions typically begin at the end of April. Of course, all of these dates are dependent upon the snow melt.

 A regular tree planting work day is 12 hours. This includes the driving time from portal to portal. Shift breakdowns are determined by the foreman.  The standard shift is 4 days worked followed by 1 day off; but we also have crews which work 3 days worked followed by 1 day off, or 5 days worked followed 2 days off. Refer to the silviculture.pdf for more information

Forest Fire Fighting

A forest fire fighting shifts can vary depending on the fire. The maximum length of a shift can run up to 14 working days, and an additional two days of paid travel, before you receive your days off. These schedules are determined by the Ministry of Forest and are usually dictated by the fire activity. We currently deploy both Type 3 and Type 2 wildfire crews.

Training

Seneca requires all employees to participate in the company safety orientation and training prior to the first day of work operations. During this orientation workers will review the safety management system, client EMS, and company policies. Check out our Training link to familiarizing yourself with training options we provide. For all safety related information, visit our Safety link.

Lodging

In most cases, the lodgings provided to workers will involve hotels and/or shared housing rental units. When we do have jobs where a camp is provided, the tent, bedding, etc is required by the worker. Like most silviculture companies, there is a camp cost associated with the lodging. This cost will be communicated to you before any work commences.

Any further questions don’t hesitate to ask! Contact us.