Nova Scotia Is Increasing Its Minimum Wage To $12.55 Per Hour
HALIFAX– The Nova Scotia government has announced its biggest increase to minimum wage in a decade.
It announced Thursday that on April 1, Nova Scotia’s minimum wage rate will increase by $1 an hour, to $12.55 per hour. It will be the largest annual increase to province’s minimum wage since 2010.
“All Nova Scotians should benefit from our province’s economic growth and steadily improving business environment,” said Premier Stephen McNeil in a release. “We are committed to moving forward in a balanced way by making changes that benefit both workers and businesses.”
The province will also eliminating the inexperienced minimum wage, which is $11.05 per hour. Currently, employers can pay an inexperienced rate when an employee has less than three months’ experience in the kind of work they do and has worked for them for less than three months. The decision to remove the inexperienced minimum wage will bring Nova Scotia in line with all other provinces and territories across Canada.
Government is also scraping the province’s the partial hour rule. Right now, the partial hour rule requires employers to round up time worked for minimum wage earners. This means if an employee works for 15 to 30 minutes, the employee must be paid for a half hour. If an employee works for 31 to 60 minutes, the employee must be paid for a full hour.
Businesses have been advocating to remove the partial hour rule, as it will help lessen administrative costs and reduce regulatory burden.
“Our government is committed to building an economy that works for all of us,” said Minister of Labour and Advanced Education Labi Kousoulis. “These changes will help us to achieve that by fostering a stronger workforce and supporting businesses across the province.”
Nova Scotia’s minimum’s wage will still be lower than Prince Edward Island’s rate, which will jump from $12.25 to $12.85 on April 1. New Brunswick’s minimum wage is $11.50.