The minimum wage for all employees under BC provincial jurisdiction was raised to $15.65 per hour effective June 1, 2022.

What was the minimum wage in BC in previous years?

Previous rates and increases:

• June 1, 2018 – $12.65 per hour

• June 1, 2019 – $13.85 per hour

• June 1, 2020 – $14.60 per hour

• June 1, 2021 – $15.20 per hour

• June 1, 2022 – $15.65 per hour

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Does the increased minimum wage apply to all employers and employees in BC?

It depends! The minimum wage of $15.65 is set by BC Employment Standards and only applies to provincially regulated employers and employees under the jurisdiction of the BC Employment Standards Act. If you’re not sure whether your company should be paying this minimum wage to your employees, please contact our Employment & Labour team.

What employees are entitled to the increased wage?

All employees under the jurisdiction of the Employment Standards Act (part time, full time, casual, commission, hourly, salary etc.) are entitled to receive at least the minimum hourly wage, except for workers who have minimum wage rates established under the following sections of this Regulation (see details below):  

• Section 16 – live in camp leaders

• Section 17 – resident caretakers

• Section 18 – farm workers

Minimum wage applies regardless of how employees are paid – hourly, salary, commission or on an incentive basis. 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.

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Does minimum wage still apply if an employee is paid on commission?

If an employee is paid on commission, and their income is below the minimum wage for the number of hours you work, they should be paid the difference between the commission earned and the B.C. minimum wage. This applies whether they are paid 100% on commission or part commission and part hourly wages.

What happens if my employer isn’t paying wages?

The BC Employment Standards Act requires employers to pay an employee’s wages at least twice per month. That income can’t be lower than the applicable minimum wage. If an employer fails to pay wages, employees can:

• File a complaint with the Employment Standards Branch: They will investigate their claim and order the employer to pay the money they owe. The Employment Standards Branch can then also launch an audit of the whole workplace to identify any other unpaid/underpaid wages and order them to be paid.

• Quit with severance: Employees may also be able to pursue a claim for constructive dismissal. In that case, they could be able to quit their job and leave with as much as 24 months’ pay.

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Some types of employees have different minimum wage rates

Liquor Servers

As of June 1, 2021, liquor servers must be paid the regular minimum wage rate for hours worked, in addition to any tips or gratuities they receive.

A liquor server is an employee who:

• Works mainly as a server of food or drink or both

• Regularly serves liquor directly to customers, guests, members, or patrons

• Works in a premises with a liquor licence

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Live-in camp leaders

• Live-in camp leaders are paid a daily rate for each day or part day worked - $125.06

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Live-in home support workers

Live-in home support workers are paid a daily rate.

• Prior to June 1, 2022, the daily rate was $113.50 per day or part day worked

• The current daily rate is $116.68 per day or part day worked

Resident Caretakers

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Trainees

Trainees working in B.C. are entitled to minimum wage like any other employee. A trainee is someone who is being trained by their employer to fill a particular role within a company.

Some types of employees are paid a piece rate

A piece rate is a rate of pay based on a measurable quantity of work completed. Employees must be told what the piece rates are before they start work. They may also be paid a different set wage for specific tasks (e.g. paid an hourly rate).

Find out about piece rates for farm workers.

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Our employment and labour lawyers are heavily involved in various local BC Chambers and Policy Committees, attend roundtable discussions and present webinars regularly on the Employment Standards Act and related legislation. We communicate all these updates to our clients and readers on our Employer Resources Portal and through monthly Newsletters. If you have any questions or need assistance revising your employment contracts or policies, please reach out to Chris Drinovz at cdrinovz@kswlawyers.ca, or submit a Contact form.