The minimum wage that every Ontario employer must pay their employees has gone up from $11.25 to $11.40 per hour, effective October 1, 2016.  The Ontario Employment Standards Act sets out further details for specific categories of employees, such as students, liquor servers, hunting and fishing guides, and homeworkers.

For those workplaces that employ students, the new rates increased from $10.55 per hour to $10.70 per hour on October 1, 2016. This rate applies to students under the age of 18 who work 28 hours a week or less when school is in session, or work during a school break or summer holidays. Students who work more than 28 hours a week while school is in session are entitled to the general minimum wage.

As a heads up to entrepreneurs hiring “interns” who are young, hungry for experience and prepared to work for free to get in the door:  the minimum wage laws still apply.  While there may be some carve-outs as part of school experience-type programs, if the person is otherwise performing work in your workplace, she or he is entitled to at least minimum wage.

See the Ministry of Labour’s website for more details on minimum employment standards in Ontario.