Minimum Wage Rate Increase in Ontario 

Circular Note No. XDC-8625 of December 19, 2017

The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (Office of Protocol) presents its compliments to Their Excellencies the Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Chargés d’affaires, a.i. accredited to Canada, as well as to the Heads of International Organizations and other Special Representative Offices, and has the honour to advise of a change to the minimum wage in Ontario.

The minimum hourly wage for work performed in Ontario will increase to fourteen dollars an hour ($14/hour) effective January 1st, 2018, and to fifteen dollars an hour ($15/hour) effective January 1st, 2019. The minimum wage and its scheduled increases are posted by the Government of Ontario.

The Department would like to take this opportunity to remind Diplomatic Missions of the requirement to comply with prevailing provincial labour standards with respect to the treatment of domestic workers employed under the Domestic Worker Accreditation Program, and pay them the provincial minimum wage.

Further, in accordance with Canadian policy, the Department considers that it is the “joint responsibility of the head of mission and individual employers to ensure compliance with the provisions of the accreditation program and the minimum provincial labour standards applicable to the domestic workers’ working conditions.” In that regard, the Department’s Office of Protocol may, at any time, undertake policy compliancy checks.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (Office of Protocol) presents its compliments to Their Excellencies the Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Chargés d’affaires, a.i. accredited to Canada, as well as to the Heads of International Organizations and other Special Representative Offices the assurances of its highest consideration.

OTTAWA, December 19, 2017