Ontario to Raise Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour

Today Premier Doug Ford, Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development and Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance announced that as part of the 2021 Fall Economic Statement, the Ontario government will introduce legislation that, if passed, would raise the general minimum wage from $14.35 to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2022.

Special minimum wage rates are also proposed to increase:

  • Under the proposed changes, the special minimum wage rate for liquor servers would be eliminated and they would be entitled to the general minimum wage.

  • 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 would see an increase from $13.50 to $14.10 an hour.

  • Homeworkers (those who do paid work out of their own homes for employers) would see an increase from $15.80 an hour to $16.50 an hour.

  • Hunting and fishing guides currently have a minimum rate of $71.75 for working less than five consecutive hours in a day, and $143.55 for working five or more hours in a day. Their new proposed rate would be $75.00 for working less than five consecutive hours in a day, and $150.05 for working five or more hours in a day.

More Resources:
Timing and Lack of Consultation on Minimum Wage Hike Disruptive to Business

In response to today's announcement the Ontario Chamber of Commerce released the following statement:

We are in favour of fair compensation and wage increases that are planned and done in consultation with the business community so that businesses have time to plan and implement the changes. We also recognize that workers have been impacted by the pandemic and higher cost of living.

Many businesses are still grappling with the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, including cashflow constraints and the increased cost of doing business; this is no time to add to their costs. The way the proposed changes are being implemented, leaving employers with less than two months to plan, will have considerable administrative and financial impact amidst a pandemic and after 20 months of duress.

We are disappointed in the lack of consultation on such a significant policy shift and departure from the scheduled wage increases. It is dangerous to bring in major new labour reforms without addressing or protecting against unintended consequences, such as job losses, rising consumer costs, service cuts, and economic hardship for businesses and our greater economy.

We ask the Government of Ontario to work with us and other business organizations to ensure that a sudden and unplanned minimum wage hike does not do more harm than good. The government needs to re-evaluate the timeline and consider debt forgiveness for impacted businesses to support this unanticipated change in policy.

We look forward to working with the government in reviewing the current minimum wage, to ensure any increases are tied to fair and transparent reasons, with sufficient notice to allow business owners to prepare.
ICYMI: 2021 AGM Keynote Address

Rocco Rossi, President and CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce delivered the keynote address at the Ottawa Board of Trade's 164th Annual General Meeting on September 29, 2021. Catch a replay of the captivating speech by Rossi about the importance of leadership, advocacy, and membership.
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