Minimum wage, overtime and minimum pay for reporting for work

As of April 1, 2025, the minimum wage is $15.65 per hour. All employees paid by salary, commission and for piece work must receive at least minimum wage for every hour worked. 

Note that the rate will be adjusted in accordance with the Consumer Price Index of New Brunswick. 

In addition to the general minimum wage rate, there are special minimum wage rates for:

• certain categories of employees in government construction work (road, bridge and building construction)
• counselors and program staff at residential summer camps 

The minimum overtime wage rate is one and a half times the minimum wage. As of April 1, 2025, the rate is $23.48 per hour. Employers must pay at least this minimum overtime pay for each hour an employee works beyond 44 hours during a work week.

Employers have the right to require their employees to work overtime hours. However, employers must pay employees all overtime hours at the minimum overtime rate. The banking of hours is not permitted.

(also known as minimum reporting wage)

An eligible employee who has been asked by the employer to report for work must be paid the greater of:

• three hours pay at the minimum wage or the minimum overtime rate for those hours

OR

• the hours worked by the employee at their regular wage rate

For an employee to be eligible to receive pay for a minimum number of hours for reporting for work, the employee must:

• have reported for work as scheduled or requested by the employer
• have a regular wage rate of less than twice the minimum wage rate
• be regularly employed for more than three consecutive hours in a shift. An employee who has ongoing occasional shifts of at least three consecutive hours would be regarded as having satisfied this requirement

Where an employee works split shifts, and the total number of hours worked in that day is greater than three hours, the minimum reporting wage does not apply.

• Minimum wage, overtime, and minimum reporting wage (PDF 264 KB)