The Ontario government stated on April 5, 2022, that the Canada minimum wage would rise to $15.50 per hour on October 1, 2022. The general minimum wage in Ontario also applies to waiters and alcohol servers. On October 1, 2022, the minimum salaries for home-based workers and hunting, fishing, and forest guides will also increase.
The Index of Consumer Prices will determine the amount of the pay rise that will take effect in October 2022. It would result in a $1768 annual boost for people earning the general basic salary and working 40 hours per week. 40-hour-per-week bartenders would receive a yearly rise of $5,512.
Definition of minimum wage?
Minimum wage describes the lowest amount an employer is legally permitted to pay an employee. Full-time, part-time, and casual workers and those who receive a commission, piece work, flat rates, and salaries are all entitled to the federal minimum wage.
The phrase wages frequently appears in Canadian employment regulations. For instance, all federal and state employment laws require companies to calculate vacation compensation based on employees’ wages.
Ontario’s workers have been the real heroes of this pandemic. They have replenished shelves, kept our supply chain flowing, and provided so many of us enjoy a meal with our families at a local restaurant. When we polled labour leaders about their top objectives, raising the minimum wage topped the list. As the cost of living keeps rising, our government is pleased to put more money in workers’ pockets by increasing the minimum wage.
In the past, servers of alcoholic beverages were paid less than the minimum wage since it was believed that tips might make up for the difference. However, an increasing number of these employees have had the tips pooled and dispersed, making it more challenging to keep ends meet. If the proposal is implemented, servers of alcoholic beverages would be treated more equally, and their minimum hourly income would increase by an extraordinary 19.5%, from $12.55 per hour to the unified minimum wage of $15 per hour.
According to a new Ontario Livable Wage Network analysis, Ontario residents would require an hourly wage of $22.08 to subsist. The price of living in any given area can be calculated to determine what is considered a living wage. These expenses include housing, food, clothing, transportation, medical care, child care, recreational activities, and a short vacation. In each of the 23 Ontario regions included in the analysis, a living wage of at least $16.30 per hour was necessary.
New Minimum Wage in Ontario
On October 1, the minimum wage may increase. Every year, the rate increases that would take effect on October 1 would be published on or about April 1.
The anticipated 50-cent minimum wage hike in Ontario will be in effect from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023.
If a modification to the minimum wages takes effect during an employee’s pay period, the employee’s pay period will be handled as two different pay periods. The employee has the right to at least the applicable minimum salary each time.
Will the Ontario minimum wage of $15.50 apply to all jobs?
No. Students, hunting guides, homework tutors, and environmental guides have different minimum wages than the standard minimum wage.
Students wage: Minimum wage for students Increases from $14.10 to $14.60 per hour, the minimum wage for students.
Hunting and Fishing and wilderness wages: Guides in the hunting, fishing and wilderness areas have seen an increase in their minimum salary to $77.60 per day, up from $75 per day for less than five continuous hours.
Homeworker’s wage: From $16.50 per hour to $17.05 per hour for home-based workers.
The minimum hourly wage applies to the majority of workers. Student minimum wage is paid to workers aged 17 or younger who work fewer than 28 hours per week throughout the school year, during school breaks, or during the summer. A minimum wage is provided to employees who serve alcoholic beverages and routinely collect tips. The minimum pay for hunting, fishing, and wilderness guides are paid to employees over the age of 18 who, as defined by the Government of Ontario, are employed to lead, educate, or assist a person or persons while engaged in activities in a forest setting. The labour job minimum wage is paid to employees who undertake paid work in their residences. The pandemic of COVID-19 has altered the nature of employment for many workers, who may now be required to work in these conditions. Students of any age who conduct this type of labour must be compensated at the Homeworker’s minimum pay, not the Student minimum wage.
Ontario’s employees are indebted to an immense amount of gratitude. Minister of Finance Peter remarked that during the pandemic, these devoted individuals kept retail stores and supply chains operating. However, we also acknowledge that employees have been slipping behind for too long and that salaries for so many have not kept pace with the said cost of living. Our government had Ontario’s back, and now they have ours. Workers in Ontario should be involved in a race to the top, not the bottom.