On April 26th, Ontario passed legislation to increase transparency in hiring processes and give women more information when negotiating compensation that is equal to their male peers, making Ontario the first province in Canada to do so.
Starting on January 1, 2019, Ontario will:
· Require all publicly advertised job postings to include a salary rate or range
· Bar employers from asking a job candidate about their past compensation
· Prohibit reprisals against employees who discuss or disclose compensation
· Establish a framework to require larger employers to track and report compensation gaps based on gender and other diversity characteristics, to be determined through consultation.
Once fully implemented, these measures would require employers to publicly post that data within their own workplaces, in addition to reporting them to the province
The province’s pay transparency disclosure measures will begin with the Ontario Public Service. Following consultation, the proposed new rules will then apply to employers with more than 250 employees in 2020, and will extend to those with more than 100 employees in 2021. This will shine a light on the practices of the majority of Ontario businesses and will set the standard for all workplaces to follow.
For more information, please visit the Government of Ontario news page.