As students return to school this fall and legislators return from a summer of community barbeques, small business owners have to face increased labour costs. Statutory minimum wage increases are set to occur on October 1, 2018 in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with Ontario to follow suit on January 1, 2019. These increases are in accordance with a general pattern of increases across Canada over the last few years, with Alberta and Ontario leading the charge towards a $15 per hour minimum wage.
Several provinces have also implemented annual minimum wage adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index, including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Yukon.
Minimum wages across Canada are currently as follows:
|
Province |
Minimum Hourly Wage |
Notes |
|
Alberta |
$13.60 |
The minimum wage rose to $13.60 on October 1, 2017. It will rise to $15 per hour on October 1, 2018. |
|
British Columbia |
$12.65 |
On June 1, 2018, the minimum wage increased to $12.65. The government has announced that the minimum wage will further rise to $13.85 on June 1, 2019, to $14.60 on June 1, 2020 and to $15.20 on June 1, 2021. |
|
Manitoba |
$11.15 |
The minimum wage is $11.15 per hour effective October 1, 2017. As of October 1, 2018, the minimum wage will be $11.35 per hour. |
|
New Brunswick |
$11.25 |
On April 1, 2018, the minimum wage increased to $11.25. It will then be adjusted annually relative to the Consumer Price Index. |
|
Newfoundland & Labrador |
$11.15 |
On April 1, 2018, the minimum wage increased to $11.15 |
|
Northwest Territories |
$13.46 |
On April 1, 2018, the minimum wage increased to $13.46 an hour. The regulation does not specify that there must be an annual increase. |
|
Nova Scotia |
$11.00 |
On April 1, 2018, the minimum wage increased to $11.00 per hour. It will then be adjusted annually relative to the Consumer Price Index. |
|
Nunavut |
$13.00 |
The minimum wage is adjusted annually on April 1. |
|
Ontario |
$14.00 |
The minimum wage rose to $14.00 per hour on January 1, 2018 and will rise to $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2019. |
|
Prince Edward Island |
$11.55 |
On April 1, 2018, the minimum wage increased to $11.55 per hour. |
|
Quebec |
$12.00 |
On May 1, 2018, the minimum wage increased to $12.00 per hour.>/p> |
|
Saskatchewan |
$10.96 |
On October 1, 2017, the minimum wage rose to $10.96. On October 1, 2018 the minimum wage will rise to $11.06. Changes to minimum wage will be announced each year on or before June 30. |
|
Yukon |
$11.51 |
On April 1, 2018, the minimum wage increased to $11.51 per hour. The minimum wage is adjusted on April 1st of each year relative to the Consumer Price Index. Yukon’s Employment Standards Board is currently conducting a review of the minimum wage and will make their recommendations to the Minister of Community Services in Fall 2018. |
*Summary prepared by the Retail Council of Canada
Employers that pay employees either entirely or partly by commission should be aware of minimum wage regulations in the jurisdictions where they have employees. In Alberta, employers should average wages across an employee’s hours during each pay period, or across a period of one month, whichever is shorter, in order to determine whether the worker’s wages meet the minimum wage requirement. Similar provisions exist in other provinces.
If you are concerned about minimum wage compliance for your business, you can contact members of the DLA Piper (Canada) LLP employment law group to provide employment law advice tailored to your business needs.
This article provides only general information about legal issues and developments, and is not intended to provide specific legal advice. Please see our disclaimer for more details.