Reminder to Employers: Minimum Wage in the Prairies to Increase on October 1, 2018
On Monday, October 1, 2018, the general minimum wage in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba will increase as follows:
- Alberta: CAD$13.60 to CAD$15.00 per hour
- Saskatchewan: CAD$10.96 to CAD$11.06 per hour
- Manitoba: CAD$11.10 to CAD$11.35 per hour
All employers have a legal obligation to pay all employees, including temporary foreign workers, at least the minimum wage in the province or territory in which they are working.
It is also a requirement of both the International Mobility Program (IMP) and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) that employers fulfill this obligation.
Accordingly, employers must ensure that all employees, including temporary foreign workers, currently earning minimum wage in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba receive the applicable wage increase from tomorrow.
A failure to do so, will result in a breach of employment and labour laws as well as non-compliance with the requirements of the IMP and TFWP for those who employ temporary foreign workers.
Non-compliance with the requirements of the IMP and TFWP may result in a fine, a ban from hiring temporary foreign workers, and being named on the Canadian Government's public list of employers who have been non-compliant.