Reminder: Ontario minimum wage going up to $14 next week

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Many Ontario workers are going to start the new year with some extra dough in their pockets, as the province’s minimum wage is increasing at the start of the month.

On January 1, workers will see their hourly wage increase from $11.60 to $14 as the new general minimum wage takes effect.

According to the province of Ontario, 55 per cent of all retail workers will receive the pay raise, which will “help bring millions of people from the margins of the economy to a place where they are able to better provide for their families and get ahead.”

This change comes as part of the highly anticipated labour reform bill, Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, which officially passed last month.

Other changes coming into effect on January 1 include:

Ensuring workers are entitled to at least three weeks’ vacation after five years with the same employer, bringing Ontario’s vacation time in line with the national average
Expanding the 10 days per calendar year for personal emergency leave to employees in workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, with at least two paid days per year for employees who have been employed for at least a week
A new domestic or sexual violence leave of up to 10 individual days and up to 15 weeks of job protected leave; the first five days of leave in every calendar year would be paid
Increased family medical leave from 8 to 28 weeks per year
A new child death leave from any cause up to 104 weeks, and increased crime-related disappearance of a child leave from 52 to 104 weeks
Changes to make forming a union and reaching a first collective agreement easier

“Our plan for Fair Workplaces and Better Jobs provides a minimum wage people can actually live on and modernizes our labour laws to address today’s world,” said Kevin Flynn, Minister of Labour.

“Too many families struggle to get by on part-time or temporary work. Those working full-time can be living in poverty. This is unacceptable in Ontario. Our plan will help ensure everyone who works hard has the chance to reach their full potential and share in Ontario’s prosperity.”

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