Employers operating in Ontario, Canada should be aware that Ontario’s minimum wage rate is set to increase on October 1, 2020. This increase affects not only the general minimum wage rate, but also the alternative minimum wage rates that apply in Ontario.
Effective on October 1, 2020, all minimum wage rates are increasing as follows:
| Minimum wage rate | Rates from January 1, 2018, to September 30, 2020 | Rates from October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021 |
| General minimum wage | $14.00 per hour | $14.25 per hour |
| Student minimum wage | $13.15 per hour | $13.40 per hour |
| Liquor servers minimum wage | $12.20 per hour | $12.45 per hour |
| Hunting and fishing guides minimum wage | $70.00 Rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day$140.00 Rate for working five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive |
$71.30 Rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day$142.60 Rate for working five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive |
| Homeworkers minimum wage | $15.40 per hour | $15.70 per hour |
| Wilderness guides minimum wage | Rates from June 3, 2019 to September 30, 2020:
$70.00 $140.00 |
$71.30 Rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day$142.60 Rate for working five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive |
This marks the first time minimum wage has increased since January of 2018. Future increases to the minimum wage are expected to be tied to Ontario’s consumer price index.
