Minimum wage workers across B.C. will soon see a pay boost of 45 cents more per hour, according to the province’s labour minister.
In an announcement Monday, Harry Bains said the general minimum wage will be raised to $15.65 an hour, effective June 1, 2022.
“The 45 cent increase is based on British Columbia’s average annual inflation rate in 2021,” said Bains. “At 2.8 per cent for the year, B.C.’s inflation in 2021 was the highest since 1993.”
Along with changes to the general minimum wage, Bains also announced a 2.8 per cent increase to alternate minimum wages, for “live-in camp leaders, live-in home support and resident caretaker workers.”
“An increase of 2.8 per cent will also apply to minimum piece rates for hand harvesting of 15 specific crops in the agricultural sector,” said Bains.
That includes peaches, apricots, brussels sprouts, daffodils, mushrooms, apples, beans, blueberries, cherries, grapes, pears, peas, prune plums, raspberries and strawberries.
The new wage for those workers will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
CALLS TO CLOSE GAP WITH LIVING WAGE
The advocacy group Living Wage for Families BC estimates workers need to earn more than $20 an hour in both Victoria and Vancouver in order to have what’s considered a living wage. That’s the amount required to pay for adequate shelter, food and other necessities for a family of four.
Campaign director Anastasia French told CTV News the increase in minimum wage fell short of what families require to make ends meet. As a result, she said many need another 10 hours a week of work, typically through another job.
“That’s time they could be spending with their families,” she said.
French added through the pandemic, the province has doubled the number of employers committed to paying a living wage. She said the feedback, was that there was an economic benefit: many employers had happier workers and lower turnover, which meant fewer costs for training new staff.
At Fol Epi, owner Clif Leir echoed that sentiment. He added with inflation around five per cent, things were “changing quickly,” but his employees were all being paid a living wage.
Statistics Canada says the same basket of goods now costs 5.1 per cent more than it did a year ago.
Still, the B.C. government is defending its choice to use the average inflation rate for the past year, insisting that’s how other provinces calculated inflation.
The B.C. Federation of Labour echoed the need for a living wage, in a press release.
While the union praised the increase, it added too many people weren’t included. In a statement, president Susanne Skidmore wrote, “It’s long past time to eliminate the hand-harvesting piece-work rate for farmworkers, a key recommendation of the Fair Wages Commission. And employers are still ducking minimum wage rules and other employment standards by misclassifying thousands of gig and precarious workers as contractors.”
The Surrey Board of Trade also welcomed the move, saying it gave businesses the certainty they were looking for.
In an interview, CEO Anita Huberman added the high cost of living in the province necessitates a move in minimum wage, as she called on the government to also review the taxes businesses pay.
Huberman said the tax regime was cumbersome, and may have room for savings, adding red tape was also increasing costs.
B.C. NOW HAS HIGHEST MINIMUM WAGE AMONGST ALL PROVINCES
Bains added that B.C.’s minimum wage is now the highest amongst Canadian provinces – as Nunavut workers earn $16 an hour.
“This is important for workers in our province, especially for the lowest paid and most vulnerable workers, many of whom have worked tirelessly during the pandemic and kept our grocery stores open and our supply chain moving,” said Bains. “Having a fair minimum wage is a key step in our effort to lift people out of poverty, make life more affordable and to continue B.C.’s strong economic recovery.
Bains said the province is following through on a 2020 commitment to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour through measured increases and then tie future increases to the rate of inflation.
Last year, the province increased the minimum wage to $15.20 from $14.60. As well, the liquor server minimum wage of $13.95 an hour was replaced with the general minimum wage.
At the time the rates changed, the province said the wage specific to liquor servers disproportionally affected women.
According to the province, 52 per cent of employees earning a minimum wage or less in 2021 were over the age of 25 and 58 per cent were women.
A long-time cleaner at Metropolis at Metrotown said the increases to the minimum wage over the past few years have made a “huge difference” for her and her family.
“I appreciate very much these timely changes, considering the inflation happening,” said Agnes Estimo. “But it also makes me feel valued and appreciated.”
Most job search advice is cookie-cutter. The advice you’re following is almost certainly the same advice other job seekers follow, making you just another candidate following the same script.
In today’s hyper-competitive job market, standing out is critical, a challenge most job seekers struggle with. Instead of relying on generic questions recommended by self-proclaimed career coaches, which often lead to a forgettable interview, ask unique, thought-provoking questions that’ll spark engaging conversations and leave a lasting impression.
Your level of interest in the company and the role.
Contributing to your employer’s success is essential.
You desire a cultural fit.
Here are the top four questions experts recommend candidates ask; hence, they’ve become cliché questions you should avoid asking:
“What are the key responsibilities of this position?”
Most likely, the job description answers this question. Therefore, asking this question indicates you didn’t read the job description. If you require clarification, ask, “How many outbound calls will I be required to make daily?” “What will be my monthly revenue target?”
“What does a typical day look like?”
Although it’s important to understand day-to-day expectations, this question tends to elicit vague responses and rarely leads to a deeper conversation. Don’t focus on what your day will look like; instead, focus on being clear on the results you need to deliver. Nobody I know has ever been fired for not following a “typical day.” However, I know several people who were fired for failing to meet expectations. Before accepting a job offer, ensure you’re capable of meeting the employer’s expectations.
“How would you describe the company culture?”
Asking this question screams, “I read somewhere to ask this question.” There are much better ways to research a company’s culture, such as speaking to current and former employees, reading online reviews and news articles. Furthermore, since your interviewer works for the company, they’re presumably comfortable with the culture. Do you expect your interviewer to give you the brutal truth? “Be careful of Craig; get on his bad side, and he’ll make your life miserable.” “Bob is close to retirement. I give him lots of slack, which the rest of the team needs to pick up.”
Truism: No matter how much due diligence you do, only when you start working for the employer will you experience and, therefore, know their culture firsthand.
“What opportunities are there for professional development?”
When asked this question, I immediately think the candidate cares more about gaining than contributing, a showstopper. Managing your career is your responsibility, not your employer’s.
Cliché questions don’t impress hiring managers, nor will they differentiate you from your competition. To transform your interaction with your interviewer from a Q&A session into a dynamic discussion, ask unique, insightful questions.
Here are my four go-to questions—I have many more—to accomplish this:
“Describe your management style. How will you manage me?”
This question gives your interviewer the opportunity to talk about themselves, which we all love doing. As well, being in sync with my boss is extremely important to me. The management style of who’ll be my boss is a determining factor in whether or not I’ll accept the job.
“What is the one thing I should never do that’ll piss you off and possibly damage our working relationship beyond repair?”
This question also allows me to determine whether I and my to-be boss would be in sync. Sometimes I ask, “What are your pet peeves?”
“When I join the team, what would be the most important contribution you’d want to see from me in the first six months?”
Setting myself up for failure is the last thing I want. As I mentioned, focus on the results you need to produce and timelines. How realistic are the expectations? It’s never about the question; it’s about what you want to know. It’s important to know whether you’ll be able to meet or even exceed your new boss’s expectations.
“If I wanted to sell you on an idea or suggestion, what do you need to know?”
Years ago, a candidate asked me this question. I was impressed he wasn’t looking just to put in time; he was looking for how he could be a contributing employee. Every time I ask this question, it leads to an in-depth discussion.
Other questions I’ve asked:
“What keeps you up at night?”
“If you were to leave this company, who would follow?”
“How do you handle an employee making a mistake?”
“If you were to give a Ted Talk, what topic would you talk about?”
“What are three highly valued skills at [company] that I should master to advance?”
“What are the informal expectations of the role?”
“What is one misconception people have about you [or the company]?”
Your questions reveal a great deal about your motivations, drive to make a meaningful impact on the business, and a chance to morph the questioning into a conversation. Cliché questions don’t lead to meaningful discussions, whereas unique, thought-provoking questions do and, in turn, make you memorable.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.
CALGARY – Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. reported a third-quarter profit of $2.27 billion, down from $2.34 billion in the same quarter last year.
The company says the profit amounted to $1.06 per diluted share for the quarter that ended Sept. 30 compared with $1.06 per diluted share a year earlier.
Product sales totalled $10.40 billion, down from $11.76 billion in the same quarter last year.
Daily production for the quarter averaged 1,363,086 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 1,393,614 a year ago.
On an adjusted basis, Canadian Natural says it earned 97 cents per diluted share for the quarter, down from an adjusted profit of $1.30 per diluted share in the same quarter last year.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 90 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
CALGARY – Cenovus Energy Inc. reported its third-quarter profit fell compared with a year as its revenue edged lower.
The company says it earned $820 million or 42 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, down from $1.86 billion or 97 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $14.25 billion, down from $14.58 billion in the same quarter last year.
Total upstream production in the quarter amounted to 771,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 797,000 a year earlier.
Total downstream throughput was 642,900 barrels per day compared with 664,300 in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Cenovus says its funds flow amounted to $1.05 per diluted share in its latest quarter, down from adjusted funds flow of $1.81 per diluted share a year earlier.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
