Minimum Wage in Ontario

The Ontario Ministry of Labor is responsible for establishing minimum wage standards for the province of Ontario. In regard to minimum wage, Ontario provides employees with the highest minimum wage standards of all provinces within Canada.

Minimum wage in Ontario varies significantly depending upon an individual's age and the type of work that he/she is involved in. The Ontario Ministry of Labor has created a number of specific employment categories, each of which maintain different minimum wage standards.

For example, liquor servers, homeworkers, and individuals who hunt or fish, are eligible to receive higher minimum wage rates than other employees working in the province of Ontario. If an individual is a student and is under 18 years of age, he/she may receive lower wage rates than individuals who are over 18 years of age, as employers can choose pay minors the specified student minimum wage rates.

In order for an employer to provide an employee with the student minimum wage in Ontario, the student must work under 28 hours each week. This includes while he/she is in school, during summer vacation, and during holiday breaks. If an individual is under 18 years old and is working more than 28 hours each weak, he/she is eligible for the general minimum wage.

Hunters and fisherman have the highest minimum wage in Ontario. However, these individuals are not paid by the hour. Instead, they are paid for the blocks of time that they work. A homeworker is an individual who provides services or who produces or sells goods from their home. These individuals are eligible for minimum wage standards that are higher than the general minimum wage.

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