Our office has received a number of questions about changes to the minimum wage based on recent news reports about an increase at the federal level and in Ontario.
While not increasing immediately, the Ontario government will be raising the minimum wage to $16.55 an hour on October 1, 2023. This increase will make Ontario the province with the highest minimum wage in Canada.
The minimum wage rate will also increase for:
- Students under the age of 18, who work 28 hours a week or less when school is in session or work during a school break or summer holidays (from $14.60 to $15.60 an hour, effective October 1st).
- Homeworkers – i.e. those who do paid work out of their own home for an employer (from $17.05 to $18.20 an hour, effective October 1st).
This represents a fairly significant increase for the entry-level wage from the current $15.50 per hour (+6.5%).
Lastly, please note that this wage increase should not be confused with the Federal Government’s recently confirmed minimum wage increase, since that regulation only applies to federally regulated employers (such as banks and airlines). The federal minimum wage increased from $15.55 to $16.65 per hour on April 1, 2023 (based on the government’s observed Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket which it claims rose 6.8% in 2022.)
We will continue to keep you updated on any relevant HR developments in your workplace. In the meantime, please feel free to contact us if you need any information about these or other HR matters.
