Lesson 10: Minimum Wage

Minimum Wages:

• Minimum wages vary from province to province; in Alberta the minimum wage has been increasing and includes minimum rates for employees and a different rate for employees serving liquor as part of their regular job. 

• An adolescent (12, 13 or 14 years old) employed on a day when required to attend school, part-time workers in certain non-profit recreation or athletic programs, and school bus drivers are entitled to not less than 2 hours pay at the minimum wage if they are employed for less than 2 hours.

  All other workers are entitled to not less than 3 hours at the minimum wage if they are employed for less than 3 hours and they are available to work for the full 3 hours.

• A deduction for a meal or lodging cannot reduce the minimum wage by more than the following amounts: $3.09 per meal consumed and $4.08 per day of lodging. ( if you are unsure of any deductions please contact the provincial government)

• All of the dollar amounts are updated periodically by the provincial government; the most current amounts can be accessed here.
  

Earnings and Deductions:

Workers must receive a detailed written statement of earnings and deductions for their retention each pay period. An employer may deduct from a worker's earnings amounts permitted by an act, regulation, judgment, order of a court, or amounts personally authorized in writing by a worker.

 No deduction can be made from a worker's earnings for:

• faulty workmanship

• cash shortages or loss of property if anyone other than the worker had access to the cash or property

Termination of Employment:

1. If the employer terminates a worker's employment:
   

   • with notice and/or pay in lieu of notice - pay is due not later than 3 days after the last day of work;

   • and no termination notice is required to be given - pay is due not later than 10 days after the last day of work.

2. If the worker terminates their own employment:
   

   • by giving a termination notice -- pay is due not later than 3 days after the last day of work;

   • and no termination notice is required to be given -- pay is due not later than 10 days after the last day of work;

   • and fails to give the required termination notice -- pay is due not later than 10 days after the date on which the notice would have expired had it been given.