Ontario's minimum wage went up. Here's what you need to know

Ontario’s minimum wage has gone up.

On Saturday, the provincial minimum wage increased by 50 cents to an hourly rate of $15.50.

The 50 cent hike was first announced by Ontario’s Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton at an April news conference.

In 2018, Premier Doug Ford elected to freeze minimum wage increases before they were scheduled to rise to $15.00 in Jan. 2019. Instead, the province landed on raising it 35 cents to $14.35 an hour.

Then, in Jan. 2022, it was raised to $15.00 an hour -- a year later than originally slated.

WHAT ABOUT SPECIALIZED WAGES?

Students will also see a 50 cent increase in their wages Saturday -- from $14.10 to $14.60 an hour.

The government notes that students of any age (including students under the age of 18 years old) who are employed as homeworkers must be paid the homeworker’s minimum wage rather than the student’s.

Homeworkers, which the Ontario government defines as “employees who do paid work in their own homes,” will see a 55 cent increase, with their wages going up to $17.05 an hour.

Effective Jan. 1, 2022, the special minimum wage rate that previously applied to certain “liquor servers” was eliminated. They are now paid the provincial minimum wage.

To learn more about changes to specialized wages, click here.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I’M MID-PAY PERIOD WHEN THE CHANGE OCCURS?

If a pay increase occurs partway through your pay period, the province says that “the pay period will be treated as if it were two separate pay periods and the employee will be entitled to at least the minimum wage that applies in each of those periods.”

WILL ONTARIO’S MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE IN 2023?

According to the province, minimum wage rates stand to increase annually on Oct. 1. The province says that if new rates are to come into effect on Oct. 1, 2023, they will publicly announce so on or before April 1, 2023.