Ministry of Labour
McGuinty Government Boosts Minimum Wage For Students
Minimum Wage For Summer Workers To Start To Increase 28 Per Cent On
March 31, 2008
QUEEN'S PARK, July 4 — The McGuinty government will begin raising
the minimum wage for students by 28 per cent over three years, starting on
March 31, 2008, Minister of Labour Steve Peters said today.
"A summer job is a great way for young Ontarians to develop skills and
gain valuable experience," said Peters. "It is also important for young people
to be fairly rewarded for their hard work, and that is why we are raising the
student minimum wage by 28 per cent. We will be implementing this raise over
three years so that businesses have the opportunity to adjust."
The new minimum wage will apply to students under 18 years of age working
during a school holiday or working no more than 28 hours per week during the
school year. In addition to the raise for students, the current general
minimum wage of $8.00 per hour will rise to $10.25 on March 31, 2010.
Amendments to Regulation 285/01 of the Employment Standards Act 2000 governing
this and other related minimum wage categories have been made.
In addition to raising the minimum wage, the McGuinty government has
taken a number of steps to help young workers protect their health and safety
in the workplace, including:
— Producing and distributing several young worker safety 'tip sheets'
since 2004, as well as the distribution of the tip sheet "Protecting
Yourself - Tips for Young Workers" to over one million grade 7 to 12
students in the province
— Providing free workplace health and safety resources for teachers
under the Live Safe! Work Smart! educational program
— Revisions to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 poster to direct
individuals to a new Young Workers section on the Ministry of
Labour's website
— Working with the Minister's Action Group on Vulnerable Workers Under
the Age of 25 to create recommendations on how to reach young workers
who are outside the educational system
— Establishing
www.WorkSmartOntario.gov.on.ca, an innovative and "youth
friendly" website to provide Ontario's young workers with the
information they need to be safe at work
— Distributing Young Worker Health and Safety information kits to all
MPPs in the province before the summer work season.
Contact Info
"Not only must young workers be fairly rewarded for their work, they must
be safe while working," Peters said. "The health and safety of Ontario's
students is paramount. That's why we've already done a number of things to
make our young people safer, including distributing health and safety tip
sheets to help make Ontario's students safer in their summer jobs."
Disponible en français
www.labour.gov.on.ca
Backgrounder
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ONTARIO'S MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES 2007 TO 2010
Amendments to Regulation 285/01 of the Employment Standards Act 2000 to
implement the increases to the general minimum wage that were announced in the
2007 Ontario budget have come into effect. The regulation increases the
minimum wage rates for students, liquor servers, homeworkers, and
hunting/fishing guides by the same percentage as the general rate.
Minimum Wage Increases for General and Specific Job Categories
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minimum Wage Rate Current Rate March 31, March 31, March 31,
(February 1, 2007) 2008 2009 2010
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Minimum Wage $8.00 per hour $8.75 $9.50 $10.25
per hour per hour per hour
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Students under 18 and $7.50 per hour $8.20 $8.90 $9.60
working not more than per hour per hour per hour
28 hours per week
during the school year
or working during a
school holiday
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liquor servers $6.95 per hour $7.60 $8.25 $8.90
per hour per hour per hour
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hunting and Fishing $40.00 per day: $43.75 $47.50 $51.25
guides paid this minimum per day per day per day
rate for working
less than five
consecutive hours
in a day;
$80.00 per day: $87.50 $95.00 $102.05
for working five per day per day per day
or more hours in
a day whether or
not the hours are
consecutive
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homeworkers (employees 110 per cent of 110 110 110
who do paid work in the general per cent per cent per cent
their home for an minimum wage of the of the of the
employer) general general general
minimum minimum minimum
wage wage wage
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ontario's general minimum wage was increased to $8.00 per hour on February
1, 2007.
Until February, 2004, Ontario's minimum wage rate had not been increased
by the previous government for almost nine years. By phasing in the minimum
wage increases over four years, the government balanced the needs of Ontario's
low-income workers with the needs of Ontario's businesses to be competitive.
Increases to the minimum wage since 1995
------------------------------------------
Ontario General
Minimum Wage Rate/hr Implementation Date
------------------------------------------
$6.85 January 1995
------------------------------------------
$7.15 February 1, 2004
------------------------------------------
$7.45 February 1, 2005
------------------------------------------
$7.75 February 1, 2006
------------------------------------------
$8.00 February 1, 2007
------------------------------------------
Minimum Wage Increases for Specific Job Categories
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minimum Previously February 1, February 1, February 1, February 1,
Wage Rate (since 1995) 2004 2005 2006 2007
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
General $6.85 $7.15 $7.45 $7.75 $8.00
Minimum per hour per hour per hour per hour per hour
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wage
Students $6.40 $6.70 $6.95 $7.25 $7.50
under 18 per hour per hour per hour per hour per hour
and
working not
more than
28 hours
per week
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liquor $5.95 $6.20 $6.50 $6.75 $6.95
server per hour per hour per hour per hour per hour
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hunting and $34.25 $35.75 $37.25 $38.75 $40.00
Fishing per day:
guides paid this
minimum
rate for
less than
five
consecutive
hours in a
day;
$68.50 $71.50 $74.50 $77.50 $80.00
per day:
for five or
more hours
in a day
whether or
not the
hours are
consecutive
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homeworkers 110 110 110 110 110
(defined per cent per cent per cent per cent per cent
as people of the of the of the of the of the
doing paid general general general general general
work in minimum minimum minimum minimum minimum
their home wage wage wage wage wage
for an
employer)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
For further information:
Public enquiries:
1-800-531-5551
Media enquiries:
Belinda Sutton
Ministry of Labour
416-326-7405
Disponible en français
www.labour.gov.on.ca
For further information: Public enquiries: 1-800-531-5551; Media
enquiries: Susan McConnell, Minister's Office, (416) 326-7710; Belinda Sutton,
Ministry of Labour, (416) 326-7405
