By Curtis Galbraith

Provincial Politics

Chamber chair welcomes changes to minimum wage, overtime rules

May 29, 2019 | 2:30 PM

One local business person is welcoming provincial changes to minimum wage and overtime pay regulations.

Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce chair Dan Wong says businesses have been saying for several years that a differential for people under 18 is their preferred option.

“The youth that they were hiring have limited skills when they start working and also, they have restrictions in terms of number of hours that they can work, what type of work they are allowed to do, and what type of work they are allowed to do alone. To put everybody all of a sudden at a level playing field, it just made an unfair environment.”

The province has introduced legislation to lower the minimum wage to $13.00 an hour for students under 18, as well as to change holiday pay rules and to have overtime paid at straight time.

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

Wong does not think lowering the wage will mean workers over 18 will be laid off in favour of younger, cheaper ones.

“Kids under 18, for example, they aren’t allowed to do closing shifts on their own, there are certain types of equipment they can’t handle, and there’s certain, limited hours. If they’re really young, they can’t work past, I think, eight or nine o’clock at night. If they’re going to school, there’s a limited number of hours they can work per week, so that doesn’t work for all businesses.”

He adds many businesses felt that having the minimum wage at $15.00 an hour was a disincentive to hire young people.

“You look at the class of employees that (are) limited in what their scope is, compared to people who are slightly older and don’t have any restrictions on them, yet you have to pay them both exactly the same rate.”

The legislation also means places like restaurants no longer have to pay holiday pay even when they are closed. Wong says this is something that “really ate into their bottom line.”

“There were just a lot of changes that happened all at the same time, one right after the other, that really made it difficult for businesses to get a handle on their expenses.”

Wong says the previous rules on minimum wage and holiday pay, plus the carbon tax and a slower economy, “stretched some businesses to the limit”, while others were forced to close down.