The New $15 Federal Minimum Wage

 Like all other workers, employees of federally regulated companies are entitled to no less than the minimum wage. The difference is that there is no federal minimum wage rate the way there is in all 10 provinces and 3 territories. Federal employees get whatever the minimum wage that happens to apply in their province of employment. Thus, minimum wage earners working side by side on the same job may have variances of up to $2, $3 or even $4 per hour in pay.

All of that changes when the new federal minimum wage takes effect. Effective December 29, 2021, federally regulated employees will be entitled to no less than $15 per hour, regardless of the provincial minimum wage. However, to the extent that the province or territory provides for a minimum wage above $15—which is currently the case only in BC, Nunavut and the Yukon—federally regulated employees will get the higher local rate.

Thus, for example, an employee of a federally regulated company in Québec, where the current minimum wage is $13.50 per hour, will get $15 per hour; however, if BC is the province of employment, the minimum wage will be the BC rate of $15.20 per hour.