On June 1, the minimum wage in BC increases to $16.75 (from $15.65) and the Langley Chamber reminds employers to ensure payroll and other systems are updated to ensure compliance with this change. 

There are very few exceptions to the minimum wage, and workers such as liquor service workers, can no longer receive a different minimum wage.   For full details on the minimum wage, visit the Employment Standards Branch page here. 

The Langley Chamber warned against an increase of this size, and the inflationary impact it will have all along the wage scale, not just at the minimum wage.  With direct advocacy to government and with multiple media appearances, we argued that a 7% increase was too significant to place on businesses, and that it would create knock-on wage inflation across the economy, adding further financial pressures to businesses. 

After a year of unprecedented input cost pressures, significant wage growth already, and continued tax increases, BC businesses and our small business community did not need to shoulder this much of a burden.  The Langley Chamber had been advocating for the province to set aside the Consumer Price Index for 2023 and instead issue any minimum wage increase at a level more sustainable for businesses and in recognition of the continued piling-on of costs on employers. 

Read about our concerns in CBC here, and watch our interview on CBC Vancouver News at 6 here (starting at 17:54)