The British Columbia Pay Transparency Act
The British Columbia Pay Transparency Act aims to promote pay equity and eliminate systemic discrimination in the workplace. This became a law because women in British Columbia earned, on average, 15 percent less than men. This pay gap is even more pronounced for women and gender-diverse individuals who are Indigenous, racialized, newcomers, disabled, and/or LGBTQIA+.
Some of the Key Points of the Act are as follows:
Job Postings:
- Employers must include the expected salary or wage range in all public job postings, starting November 1, 2023. This applies to job opportunities open to BC residents or that may be filled by a BC resident, in-person or remotely.
Pay History:
- Employers cannot ask job applicants about their pay history unless the information is publicly available. This helps break the discrimination against women and gender-diverse people. They can still use pay history information about an employee to determine pay for a new position.
Reprisal Protection:
- Employers cannot retaliate against employees for:
– Asking about their pay
– Disclosing their pay to another employee or job applicant
– Asking about their employer’s pay transparency report
– Requesting compliance with the Act
– Making a report to the Director of Pay Transparency
Pay Transparency Reports:
- Employers with a certain number of employees must post annual pay transparency reports by November 1st each year. The phased requirement is as follows:
– 2023: BC government and six largest Crown corporations
– 2024: Employers with 1,000+ employees
– 2025: Employers with 300+ employees
– 2026: Employers with 50+ employees
– 2027: Employers with less than 49 employees (subject to regulation)
Report Contents:
- Pay transparency reports must include information about differences in pay among prescribed groups, trends, and non-compliance reports.
Annual Report:
- The Minister of Finance must publish an annual report by June 1st each year, describing pay differences among genders and trends.