[BCMA] BC Government Legislation will help close B.C.’s gender pay gap

Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca
Wed Mar 8 12:16:50 PST 2023


New pay transparency legislation
<https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023FIN0017-000274> was introduced on
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.

“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.”

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. This requirement is being introduced in stages – by number of
employees – to give employers time to prepare, as follows:

   - Nov. 1, 2023: BC Public Service Agency and Crown corporations with
   more than 1,000 employees (ICBC, BC Hydro, WorkSafeBC, BC Housing, BC
   Lottery Corporation and BC Transit).
   - Nov. 1, 2024: all employers with 1,000 employees or more
   - Nov. 1, 2025: all employers with 300 employees or more
   - Nov. 1, 2026: all employers with 50 employees or more

“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 together to eliminate wage discrimination and
empowering all workers.”

Each year by June 1, the Ministry of Finance will publish an annual report
that will serve as centralized reporting of gender pay in British Columbia.

Regulations are also being developed for the fall that will provide
employers with more details about how they will be required to report on
the pay gap. The goal is also to ensure that addressing the pay gap goes
beyond the gender binary, making B.C. the first jurisdiction in Canada to
take this approach.

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.

The introduction of pay transparency legislation follows engagement that
included Indigenous partners, business associations, organized labour,
employee associations, employment and legal advocates, municipalities, and
the non-profit and public sectors.

Quick Facts:

   - According to Statistics Canada, in 2022 women in B.C. earned 17% less
   than men.
   - 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.


-- 

Lorenda Calvert
Programs Coordinator

Pronouns: she/her. To learn why pronouns are important, click here
<https://equity.ubc.ca/resources/gender-diversity/pronouns/>

The BC Museums Association office is located on the traditional, unceded
lands of the Lekwungen <https://vimeo.com/275788251> peoples (Songhees and
Xwsepsum Nations). We respect past, present, and future Indigenous stewards
and recognize that we are uninvited guests on this territory.
<https://www.google.com/maps/search/675+Belleville+Street+%7C%7C+Victoria,+BC+%7C%7C+V8W+9W2+%0D%0A+%0D%0A+Office:+250?entry=gmail&source=g>
<https://www.google.com/maps/search/675+Belleville+Street+%7C%7C+Victoria,+BC+%7C%7C+V8W+9W2+%0D%0A+%0D%0A+Office:+250?entry=gmail&source=g>



BC Museums Association || 675 Belleville Street  || Victoria, BC || V8W 9W2

museum.bc.ca <http://www.museum.bc.ca/>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.museum.bc.ca/pipermail/listserv-museum.bc.ca/attachments/20230308/251582fe/attachment.htm>


More information about the Listserv mailing list