As 2018 draws to a close, employers in Ontario will be turning
their attention to the final wave of changes set to take place as a
result of the Fair
Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017 (Bill 148). While many
changes that we
previously discussed will proceed as planned (despite the
recent change in governments), the increase in the minimum wage
from $14 per hour to $15 per hour will not go ahead, at least for
the time being.
On September 26, 2018, Ontario Labour Minister Laurie Scott
announced that a freeze on the provincial minimum wage (at the
current rate of $14 per hour) will occur instead of the scheduled
increase which was previously set to take effect on January 1,
2019. While no comment was made on how long the freeze will last,
Scott expanded on the announcement by saying that "the
increase of 20 percent this year was a lot for businesses to
absorb, so we're putting a pause on the minimum wage."
Since the employment standards legislation currently in
