Minimum Wage Order 2025 – Employer Toolkit

Summary

Minimum Wage Order 2025 — Implementation & Enforcement

Objective: Ensure full compliance with Dominica’s Minimum Wage Order 2025, protect workers, and promote fair labour practices.

Policy recommendations

Regular updates of minimum wage rates
Strengthen inspection capacity
Collaborate with unions & employers
Introduce digital tools for compliance tracking
Dedicated hotline for receiving complaints and queries
Regular public education (PE) through various media

Goal

Promote fair pay, labour protection, and economic stability in Dominica.

Context

Background and purpose

Minimum wages serve as a vital labour market instrument, signaling a commitment to fair labour standard, while safeguarding workers from exploitative pay, and supporting household consumption. In Dominica, minimum wage policy is governed by the Labour Standards Act and adjusted by statutory orders. Prior to 2021, rates had remained unchanged since 2008, falling behind inflation and regional comparators. The 2025 update aligns Dominica more closely with CARICOM peers and addresses long-standing concerns from worker groups.

Guiding principles used for the 2025 adjustment

Protect purchasing power for low-income households.
Ensure fairness and equity across occupational groups.
Provide predictability and simplicity for employers and workers.
Support competitiveness by keeping wages aligned within OECS minimum rates.
Safeguard sustainability for micro and small businesses by avoiding overly large increases.

Implementation

Key components

Component	Action
Awareness & Communication	Public campaigns, Employee & Employer Toolkits, workplace posting of wage summaries
Capacity Building	Inspector training, employer workshops, sector-specific engagement
Compliance Support	Payroll templates, record-keeping guidance, helpdesk services
Monitoring & Evaluation	Routine inspections, record audits, compliance reporting
Enforcement	Investigate complaints, recover underpayments, apply penalties, compliance agreements
Employee Protection	Retaliation protection, confidential complaint channels
Governance	Labour Division leads; engage unions & employer associations; annual compliance reports

Timeline

Implementation timeline

Dec 2025 – Mar 2026

Public awareness campaign
Feb 2026 – Apr 2026

Inspector selection, approval and training
Jan 2026 onward

Workplace inspections
Quarterly 2026

Monitoring & Reporting
Dec 2026

Review & interim proposed adjustment

Outcomes

Success indicators

% of employees paid minimum wage
Employer compliance with record-keeping
Reduction in complaints
Number of enforcement actions resolved

Governance

Minimum Wage Advisory Board (2025)

Appointee	Role / Title	Position
Mr. Benoit Bardouille	Ambassador / Chairman, Industrial Relations Board	Chairman
Mr. Kelvin Pacquette	Labour Commissioner (Ag.)	Member / Ex-officio
Mr. Micah Walter	Coordinator, Private Sector Relations, Industry, Commerce and Innovation	Member
Mrs. Heslyn Andrew	Senior Economist / Finance	Member
Mr. Thomas Letang	General Secretary, DPSU	Member
Mr. Armour Thomas	President, Waterfront and Allied Workers Union (WAWU)	Member
Mr. Achille Joseph	Executive Director, Dominica Employers Federation (DEF)	Member
Mr. Brenton Hiliare	President, Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC)	Member
Mrs. Janice Jean Jacques Thomas	Executive Director, Dominica Social Security	Member
Ms. Kitwanie Ferriera	President, Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association	Member

Employer Toolkit

Compliance with Dominica’s Minimum Wage Order (2025)

Purpose: This toolkit is designed to help employers in the Commonwealth of Dominica understand and comply with the Labour Standards (Minimum Wage) Order, 2025, which took effect on 1 December 2025. It outlines legal obligations, good practices, and steps to avoid non-compliance.

1

Legal framework

Primary legislation: Labour Standards Act, Chapter 89:05
Current order: Labour Standards (Minimum Wage) Order, 2025 (S.R.O. 49 of 2025)
Enforcement authority: Labour Division, Ministry responsible for Labour

The Minimum Wage Order has the force of law. Employers must comply regardless of business size or sector.

2

What employers are required to do

Pay employees no less than the prescribed minimum wage for their occupational category
Pay wages on time (legal tender or approved electronic methods)
Maintain accurate records of hours worked and wages paid
Maintain a database containing relevant employment and wage information for all employees who fall within the minimum wage bracket, including wage rates, hours worked, employment status, and compliance records.
Issue clear payslips (hours, rate of pay, deductions, net wages)

Note on probation

Minimum wage applies to all hours worked, including probationary periods. The length of the probationary period should be expressly stated in the letter of appointment or employment contract to avoid ambiguity and ensure mutual understanding between the employer and employee.

3

Minimum wage rates (effective 1 Dec 2025)

The Order sets different rates by occupation (hourly/weekly). Employers must consult the official Schedule to identify the correct category and rate for each employee.

Examples of covered categories

General workers (tourism, manufacturing, services)
Cooks, bartenders, servers
Agricultural workers
Security guards
Janitors and cleaners
Home assistants (weekly rates)

4

Wage calculation and compliance

Record actual hours worked each day
Multiply hours worked by the applicable minimum wage rate
Ensure total gross pay meets or exceeds the legal minimum

Important

Tips, service charges, gifts or bonuses do not replace minimum wage
Overtime must be paid in addition to minimum wage

5

Permissible deductions

Deductions are lawful only if they are:

Required by law (e.g., income tax, social security), or
Agreed to in writing by the employee

6

Record keeping requirements

Employers should retain records for inspection, including:

Employee contracts
Time sheets or attendance logs
Payslips
Payroll summaries

Good record-keeping protects both the employer and the employee in the event of a dispute.

7

Inspections and enforcement

Labour Division shall

Conduct workplace inspections
Request payroll records for waged employees
Investigate employee complaints

Non-compliance may result in

Orders to pay wage arrears
Fines or other penalties under the Labour Standards Act
Submission to Industrial Relations Conciliation or Arbitration through the established entities
Reputational damage to the business

8

Managing complaints and disputes

Address wage concerns promptly and respectfully
Review payroll calculations when concerns are raised
Correct underpayments immediately if identified
Cooperate fully with Labour / Inspection Officers

Emphasis: Retaliation or prejudice against employees for raising minimum wage concerns is prohibited.

9

Good employer practices

Display the Minimum Wage Order or a summary in the workplace
Train supervisors and payroll staff on wage compliance
Review wage rates to align with the new Order
Budget for wage adjustments in advance

Checklist

Employer compliance checklist

Correct occupational category applied

Minimum wage rate updated (Dec 2025)

Accurate time records kept

Payslips issued

No unlawful deductions

Tip: Print this page and use the checklist during internal audits.

Data

Examples of relevant database fields

Employee identification

Employee ID number
Job title / designation
Department or business unit
Employment status (full-time, part-time, casual)

Wage and compensation

Hourly/weekly/monthly wage rate
Date minimum wage rate became applicable
Overtime eligibility and rate (if applicable)

Working hours

Standard hours per week
Actual hours worked
Overtime hours

Employment Dates

Date of appointment
Probationary period start and end dates
Contract type and duration (where applicable)

Compliance & monitoring

Date of last wage review
Record of adjustments made to comply with minimum wage changes
Compliance status (compliant / under review)

Demographic and Reporting (Non-Sensitive)

Age range (e.g. 18–25, 26–40)
Occupational category
Location or parish (for reporting purposes)

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is the effective date and who does it apply to?

A: Effective December 1, 2025, it applies to all employers and workers in covered categories like agriculture, hospitality, and unskilled labor—no exemptions for contracts.

Q: How do I classify workers for the correct rate?

A: Base on primary duties (e.g., agricultural laborers $9.75/hr, security guards $9.60/hr); inform workers of changes in writing if roles shift.

Q: Must I pay overtime on the new rates?

A: Yes, overtime is 1.5x the applicable minimum hourly rate; convert weekly/monthly pay to hourly for calculations.

Q: What records do I need to keep?

A: Detailed payroll logs showing hours, rate, deductions, payments, and overtime—retain for inspection by Labour Division. Refer to the Labour Standards Act Chapter 89:05 section 29 of the 2017 revised laws of Dominica.

Q: Can I deduct for meals or housing?

A: No deductions below the minimum; home assistants have specific weekly rates (e.g., $240/wk with meals).

Q: What are penalties for non-compliance?

A: Employers who contravene the provisions of the Labour Standards Act are liable to a fine imposed in accordance with Labour Standards Act Chapter 89:05 section 32 of the 2017 revised laws of Dominica.

Q: Where can I get more help?

A: SEE SUPPORT

Support

Where to get guidance

Labour Division, Ministry responsible for Labour (website/digital portals)
Ministry of Labour social media (Facebook)
Employer and employee associations (Unions DCOL and DEF)
Legal or HR professionals
Desktop or smartphone compliant QR Code will be provided for quick access to the 2025 Labour Standards (Minimum Wage Order.)
Contact Ministry of Labour's Labour Division at labourdivision@dominica.gov.dm or minimumwageinfo@dominica.gov.dm or visit labour.gov.dm for guidance.
You may also contact the Minimum Wage Hotlines at (767) 266-3195 or (767) 316-3195

This toolkit is for guidance only and does not replace the Labour Standards Act or the official Minimum Wage Order.

Labour Standards (Minimum Wage) Order 2025