Shannon Leslie Stewart, owner of Covet Community Closet in Stratford, Ont., talks with a customer on Jan. 5, 2018.GEOFF ROBINS/The Globe and Mail
It's hard to find someone in Ontario these days who doesn't have a strong opinion on minimum wage. The issue also sparks fierce debate in Alberta and B.C., which are also in the midst of boosting worker compensation.
Many business owners are finding themselves squeezed, facing a series of difficult choices to hike prices or take costs out elsewhere in their businesses. Meanwhile, some workers, labour advocates and indeed Premier Kathleen Wynne are saying that clawing back labour costs in other ways isn't fair.
Keep up with the latest on the minimum wage debate at globeandmail.com/smallbusiness. - Sarah Efron, Report on Small Business editor
Minimum-wage hike spurs Ontario businesses to cut benefits, hours
When the Ontario government passed legislation last year to increase the minimum wage by 21 per cent, businesses warned they would be forced to eliminate jobs and reduce hours and benefits for employees. Now, those cuts are happening. Full story
Ontario businesses investigated for alleged labour violations after minimum-wage hike
Ontario is investigating reports of businesses that have allegedly violated workplace rules after the hike to the minimum wage and the province's Labour Minister says he's hiring up to 175 new inspectors to enforce the law. Full story
East Vancouver's JJ Bean café takes on Toronto
On Vancouver's east side, across the street from the city's port and in the shade of two century-old elm trees, JJ Bean Inc. took root. Full story
Telemedicine platform with vets aims to save money, get good care for pets
A two-year-old yellow Labrador dog was the inspiration behind an innovative new startup that connects veterinarians with pet owners through video chat. In fact, Bo is chief inspiration officer for Healthy Pets, which is based out of the Accelerator Centre in Waterloo, Ont. Full story
From IBM to Nickelodeon: Nova Scotia software firm capitalizes on connections
For some, Times Square is the place where the oversized ball drops to ring in the new year at the stroke of midnight each December 31. For Mike Johnston, though, the New York City tourist trap has a slightly different connotation. Amid the neon glow of digital advertisements, it was where the co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Nova Scotia-based digital design firm, REDspace first truly understood that he was taking his company in a whole new direction. Full story
How companies use giving to create social and business benefits
Aside from simply donating to charitable causes, companies find that getting creative about encouraging employee involvement has business advantages, too. According to a 2016 millennial employment engagement online survey of 1,020 U.S. employees conducted by Cone Communications, 76 per cent of millennials consider a company's social and environmental commitments when choosing where to work, while 64 per cent will refuse a position from a company lacking in a strong corporate social responsibility practice. Full story
Made-in-Waterloo tech disrupting trucking and logistics
A long-haul trucker on a lonely stretch of highway is heading home with a half-empty trailer when he receives a message on his smartphone. There is some cargo nearby that would easily fit into the underused trailer being pulled across the country. The software behind the message has already calculated his hours of operation, and knows he can pick up the load and deliver it without exceeding the limits. The message also tells the driver how much this extra job pays. Full story
Businesses give city's commercial rent controls the cold shoulder
A November Vancouver staff report proposed commercial rent control similar to what exists for residential tenancies, where landlords can hike rents no more than inflation plus 2% (this year, for example, the annual allowable rent increase when residential leases renew is 4%). Full story