The province wants to ensure that no workers are left behind
The lowest-paid workers in British Columbia will see their minimum wage increased to $15.65 an hour starting June 1, according to Labour Minister Harry Bains. This is an additional $0.45 every hour from the current $15.20, which is expected to affect about 136,300 employees in B.C. who are still earning the minimum wage or less as of 2021.
The province said is the first increase tied to the average annual inflation rate in B.C., which is at 2.8% this year, as calculated from January 1 to December 31 in 2021. It is "consistent with the approach taken in other jurisdictions," said the provincial government, where a similar method has also been applied.
According to Bains, the increase is also part of the government's initiative to ensure that workers are able to catch up amid the expensive costs of living in the province.
"B.C. had one of the lowest minimum wages in the country prior to 2017, but was one of the most expensive places to live," the minister said in a statement.
"We do not want our lowest-paid workers to fall behind. The minimum wage increases tied to inflation are part of our plan to build an economy that works for everyone," he added.
The hourly minimum wage is the same for adults and young people, according to the provincial government. But other professions in the province have a separate minimum wage. To include them, Bains also announced an increase of 2.8% on alternate minimum wages for "live-in camp leaders, live-in hope support, and resident caretaker workers," CTV News reported.
"An increase of 2.8% will also apply to minimum piece rates for hand harvesting of 15 specific crops in the agricultural sector," he added as quoted by the news outlet.
This covers the following crops: peaches, apricots, Brussels sprouts, daffodils, mushrooms, apples, beans, blueberries, cherries, grapes, pears, peas, prune plums, raspberries, and strawberries.
What does this mean for employers?
The hike in minimum pay will be applied regardless of how employees are receiving their salary, whether hourly, salary, commission, or on an incentive basis, said the government.
Employers are required by law to increase the wages by the dates set out by authorities, in this case, on June 1.
"If an employee's wage is below minimum wage for the hours they worked, the employer must top up their payment so that it's equal to minimum wage," the government told employers.
B.C. has seen a significant increase in the general minimum wage over the past five years, which started at $11.35 back in 2017. Government data showed that as of 2021, 52% of employees earning the minimum wage or less were over the age of 25 and 58% were women.