Former Employee Wild Spirit Education Workers in Saskatoon claim they are owed tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid wages.
Wild Spirit Education Ltd. is a registered private school for infants, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, directed by Principal Christa Nelson. The school is licensed by the provincial government but is not funded by the government.
Seven former employees told Global News that over time Nielsen underpaid them, paid them less than they were paid, or didn't pay them at all. They claim they were shorted about $40,000.
“Over time, the losses become a significant amount of money and money. By the time you get to almost half a year, you've lost thousands of dollars,” said Ella Hagen, a former teacher at Wild Spirit Education.
Former employees claim that when they asked about pay, Nielsen would not take action.
“We only hear excuses and accusations, and it’s very frustrating,” said Jamie Cleveland, a former educational assistant at Wild Spirit Education.
After leaving their positions at Wild Spirit Education, employees took their concerns to the Labour Board.
The Department of Industrial Relations said it had “received claims from a number of employees of Wild Spirit Education Ltd. regarding unpaid wages and the Employment Standards Division is investigating.”
Global News reached out to Nielsen, who said in an email that she is cooperating with the department regarding the former employee’s allegations but did not comment further on the charges.
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Cleveland, who has worked at the company for nine years, said it wasn't always this way, adding that she noticed a change in 2017 when she claims employees were forced to take a pay cut. Since then, she's noticed salaries becoming erratic and employee turnover has increased.
“In hindsight, I gave a lot of leniency to any red flags that might have led to this because I trusted her. I knew her as a mother. I knew her better as a friend. I knew she was an amazing boss,” Cleveland said.
But over the years, those “red flags” started to pile up, Cleveland said. She and some other employees paid their monthly insurance premiums through Nielsen. She claims she didn't find out she had no coverage until her child had a medical emergency.
“She knew full well that I didn’t have hundreds of dollars sitting around for an emergency because I hadn’t even been paid for the last few months,” Cleveland said. “And then she lied to my face. I think that was a very eye-opening moment for me.”
Cleveland also claimed that Nelson organized a fundraiser through the charity Make it Sow, but months later, the money had not yet reached the charity.
“I haven't heard if the money has been paid now, but as of the end of April, it has not been paid. I'm still getting requests for the money that was given to her in January,” Cleveland said.
Global News asked Nelson about the charity fundraiser, but she did not comment.
Cleveland admitted she was ashamed of how she had been a part of this “cycle” for so long, often turning a blind eye to events because she believed she was there for the right purpose: for the students.
“I stood up for this woman. I know life is complicated and things happen. But I gave her so much slack. Now I feel like a fool. I feel like I was completely taken advantage of,” Cleveland said.
A school parent created a GoFundMe page to help students who are short of funds. While former staff are grateful for the support, they would not recommend Wild Spirit Education to anyone.
“I don't recommend it. I don't recommend parents to send their kids there because they don't get what they pay for,” said Lina Shaya, a former teacher at Wild Spirit Education.
Looking ahead, former employees said they hope to get their lost money back.
“Because employees can’t continue to go without pay, they leave, and more employees fill the void, and the cycle repeats,” Hagen said.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
