If you make minimum wage and live in Windsor or Essex County, whether you make a living wage depends on whether your employer provides family health benefits.
The Windsor Essex County Health Unit has crunched the local numbers based on a provincial standard and said the 2019 living wage is $14 per hour if you have those benefits, but if you do not, it is more like $15.15 per hour.
The 2019 living wage is also up from last year. The health unit said it increased $0.34 per hour over 2018.
The health unit is encouraging employers to offer their workers a living wage, which is different from the minimum wage.
The living wage is based on the real cost of goods and services in the community, while the province legislates the minimum wage.
It said paying employees a living wage can improve productivity, employee loyalty, and cut costs associated with absenteeism, training, and turnover.
Businesses that want to become living wage employers can visit the health unit's website and apply online. Applications are reviewed within days, and certification often occurs soon after. Businesses that are accepted will receive a package, including a mounted certificate, door decals, social media promotion, and recognition on the health unit's website.
