Minimum Wage
Minimum wage is the lowest wage rate an employer can pay an employee. Most employees are eligible for minimum wage, whether they are full-time, part-time, casual employees, or are paid an hourly rate, commission, piece rate, flat rate or salary. Some employees have jobs that are exempt from the minimum wage provisions of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). (See "Industries and Jobs with ESA Exemptions and/or Special Rules" for information on these job categories.)
Minimum Wage Rates
| Minimum Wage Rate | March 31, 2009 Current wage rate |
March 31, 2010 |
|---|---|---|
| General Minimum Wage | $9.50 per hour |
$10.25 per hour |
| Student Minimum Wage |
$8.90 per hour |
$9.60 per hour |
| Liquor Servers Minimum Wage | $8.25 per hour |
$8.90 per hour |
| Hunting and Fishing Guides Minimum Wage |
$47.50 $95.00 |
$51.25 $102.50 |
| Homeworkers Wage (110 per cent of the general minimum wage) |
$10.45 per hour |
$11.28 per hour |
- General minimum wage
- This rate applies to most employees.
- Student wage
- This rate applies to 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.
- Liquor servers wage
- This hourly rate applies to employees who serve liquor directly to customers or guests in licensed premises as a regular part of their work. "Licensed premises" are businesses for which a license or permit has been issued under the Liquor Licence Act.
- Hunting and fishing guides wage
- The minimum wage for hunting and fishing guides is based on blocks of time instead of by the hour. They get a minimum amount for working less than five consecutive hours in a day, and a different amount for working five hours or more in a day--whether or not the hours are consecutive.
- Homeworkers wage
- Homeworkers are employees who do paid work in their own homes. For example, they may sew clothes for a clothing manufacturer, answer telephone calls for a call centre, or write software for a high-tech company. Note that students of any age (including students under the age of 18 years) who are employed as homeworkers must be paid the homeworker's minimum wage.
