On March 12, 2020, the Government of Nunavut (GN) announced that it would be raising the minimum wage mandated by section 12(1.1.) of the Labour Standards Act from $13.00 per hour to $16.00 per hour, effective April 1, 2020.
The wage increase follows a minimum wage survey conducted in September and October 2019 by the GN. The GN stated that it hoped that the $3.00 increase would assist residents of Nunavut in meeting obstacles associated with living in the territory with the highest cost of living in the country.
With this increase, Nunavut becomes the jurisdiction with the highest minimum wage in Canada.
Employers should immediately take measures to adjust their payroll so that employees working at minimum wage see their wages increased to the mandated minimum on April 1, 2020. Employers who do not comply may be investigated by the Nunavut Labour Standards Compliance Office and risk fines and other penalties if found to be non-compliant with the Labour Standards Act.
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