Minimum wage officially goes up May 1, but for many West Shore businesses, paying more than $8 has been the norm for years.
Jennifer De Luca of Worklink in Colwood said she rarely sees entry-level jobs on the job board listing pay less than $9 or $10 per hour.
B次元官网网址淓ven in retail, the low-end is around $10,B次元官网网址� De Luca said. B次元官网网址淚f employer wants somebody to work for $8, theyB次元官网网址檙e probably going to have to advertise for a long time.B次元官网网址�
She also pointed out that an employable single person living on income assistance is paid $620 per month, equivalent to working 20 hours per week at the current minimum wage.
B次元官网网址淗igher wages will give more incentive for unemployed people to look for work,B次元官网网址� De Luca said.
Days after being sworn in as premier, Christy Clark made good on her campaign promise to boost minimum wage, which has been frozen at $8 since 2001. The first of three-stage increases takes effect in May, upping it to $8.75. It hits $9 in November and $10.25 by May 2012.
Clark also canned the training wage that allowed employers to pay youth $6 for their first 500 hours. The only workers that wonB次元官网网址檛 make the new wages are bartenders and servers working in a licensed premise.
A new B次元官网网址渁lcohol servers wage,B次元官网网址� modeled after an Ontario standard, will have lower minimum of $9 after May 2012.
At Station House Pub in Langford, bar manager Darren Cross said because the pub already pays experienced staff at least $9, it wonB次元官网网址檛 feel the impact of increased wages until next year when some kitchen staff will get a raise.
B次元官网网址淲e know we have to pay a fair wage to keep our staff around, thatB次元官网网址檚 part of running a good business,B次元官网网址� he said.
The restaurant industry has suffered in the last year with the introduction of stricter drinking and driving regulations and higher tax from the HST. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e hoping things will rebound before this (wage increase) hits us too,B次元官网网址� Cross said.
West Shore Chamber of Commerce president Kyara Kahakauwila, owner of LA Limosines in Langford, said itB次元官网网址檚 not just lowest wage earners that will expect to see an increase.
B次元官网网址淢inimum wage is a benchmark, the ripple goes all the way up the chain,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淓verybody will ask for a raise. It will definitely impact every businessB次元官网网址檚 bottom line.B次元官网网址�
She said the increase came as a surprise and she wished there would have been more consultation with businesses.
B次元官网网址淚 agree it needed to go up, and I like the increments. I just wish we would have had more notice,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淛ust like the HST, there was no dialogue between government the businesses this impacts.B次元官网网址�
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