235 King Street East   

Kitchener, Ontario • N2G 4N5

Phone: (519) 883-2353 • Fax: (519) 568-8587  

Web site: www.owr.ca   E-mail: info@owr.ca

March, 2009

A Living Wage — What’s it all about?

A Living Wage provides an income to maintain a modest standard of living in the community and a means to save for future needs and goals.  It includes funds to support interaction, recreation and generally feeling connected to the community.


Opportunities Waterloo Region estimated a Living Wage at $13.62 per hour (without benefits) is what a single adult working full-time, full-year, needs to make in order to sustain a very modest standard of living.

Every dollar of new income for a person living on low-income is a local community dollar.  People with lower incomes tend to spend more of their money in the local economy.  That is good for local businesses. By contrast, people with higher incomes take more of their income out of the local economy—through savings and travel, for example.


-Greg deGroot-Maggetti, Socio-economic Policy Analyst, Citizens for Public Justice

Benefits of a Living Wage

to Employers


  1. -Cost savings on staff hiring and training

  2. -Decreased employee turnover

  3. -Lower absenteeism

  4. -Improved customer satisfaction

  5. -Higher employee loyalty and productivity

  6. -Greater corporate social responsibility

to Individuals & Families


  1. -Reduced stress

  2. -Decent wages

  3. -Improved health

  4. -Increased savings and credit

  5. -Fewer trips to food banks

  6. -Increased independence

  7. -Greater economic self-sufficiency

  8. -Reduced reliance on other social programs

to Community

  1. -Increased time for individuals and families to participate in the community

  2. -More local buying power

  3. -Increased local investment

  4. -Increased taxpayer base to expand & improve public services

  5. -Reduced health & social service costs

Paying people a fair wage is a sign of respect and acknowledgement of the value of people's contributions to the business. When people are treated fairly and with respect, they will provide unparalleled levels of support and commitment inside the business, and to clients and customers. Everyone is more successful when people are paid a living wage.

-Amy Lyman, Co-Founder and Chair of Board of Directors, Great Place to Work Institute, a global research and management consultancy