VICTORIA – New pay transparency legislation was introduced March 7, 2023, to help close the gender pay gap in B.C. – the next step on the path to pay equity.
Once the legislation is passed, as of Nov. 1, 2023, all employers will be required to include wage or salary ranges on all publicly advertised jobs. In addition, as soon as the legislation is in force, B.C. employers will not be able to ask prospective employees for pay history information or punish employees who disclose their pay to co-workers or potential job applicants – actions known to contribute to the gender pay gap.
According to Statistics Canada, in 2022 women in B.C. earned 17% less than men. The average hourly wages for men were $35.50 while women earned an average wage of $29.53 per hour.
For Indigenous, racialized and newcomer women, the gap is higher. According to Statistics Canada indigenous women working full time earned an average of $26.74 per hour. Visible minority women earned an average of $27.44 per hour. Immigrant women earned an average of $28.78 per hour.
“People deserve equal pay for equal work. We’ve been taking action to close the pay gap since 2017 with investments in child care and training, and increases to the minimum wage. Today, we’re taking the next step – all employers need to be transparent about what people are being paid to close the pay gap between men and women,” said Kelli Paddon, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity. “Our work doesn’t end here. We’re determined to continue our engagement with all of our partners to close the pay gap and ensure people get the fair payment they deserve.”
The pay gap also disproportionately impacts Indigenous women, women of colour, and immigrant women, as well as women with disabilities and non-binary people. In developing reporting regulations, B.C. will look at ways demographic data can be safely collected from employees using the province’s Gender and Sex Data Standard and work underway that follows the new Anti-Racism Data Act.
Pay discrimination is prohibited in B.C. under the Human Rights Code. If employees are experiencing discrimination in the workplace, including pay discrimination, they can file a claim with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.
When the legislation is passed, starting in November 2023, B.C. employers will gradually be required to publicly post reports on their gender pay gap.
“Everyone deserves fair working conditions. Being transparent about the wages an employer pays its workers brings us one step closer to reducing the gender pay gap,” said Harry Bains, Minister of Labour. “Our government is committed to keep working
