Stay Informed on Canadian Pay Transparency Laws
With countries around the world working to close pay gap, Canada is no exception and it’s more important than ever that your organization stays up-to-date on what the latest laws mean for you. Here, you can learn the latest about current and proposed pay equity, pay transparency, pay reporting, and salary history ban legislation in Canada.
Your Guide to Canadian Pay Transparency Laws
Between the pay equity protections and recent pay transparency legislation being passed across Canada, momentum around the topic of pay transparency is not slowing down. To help you stay up-to-date and successfully navigate changing regulations, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of current and proposed transparency laws across Canada, in one spot.
Payscale will provide updates to any legislation as soon as reasonably practicable. While this is merely a reference guide, please ensure that you speak to your own legal counsel if you have any questions about the legislation below.
| Province | Pay Equity Protections | Type of Covered Employers | Pay Transparency Legislation | Type of Covered Employers | Salary History Ban | Pay Reporting | Link to Enacted Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | Yes–gender based. Covered employers must establish a pay equity plan | Federally regulated private and public sector employers with 10 or more employees | None | N/A | None | Federally regulated employees must submit an annual pay gap report by June 1 of each year | Pay Reporting Law |
| Alberta | None | N/A | None | N/A | None | None | N/A |
| British Columbia | None | N/A | Beginning November 1, 2023, BC employers must post the expected salary/wage for the job or the expected salary/wage range | British Columbia Employers “unless exempted by regulation” | Yes–beginning November 1, 2023 | Yes–beginning November 1, 2023 pay transparency reporting will be rolled out | British Columbia’s Bill 13-2023: Pay Transparency Act |
| Manitoba | Yes | Public sector employees | Proposed bill to require pay information in job postings | N/A | Proposed bill | Proposed bill would require employers with more than 100 employees to file pay reports, including information on wages, gender, other self-identified identities, and differences in pay | Pay Equity Act |
| New Brunswick | Yes | Public sector employees, excluding provincial Crown corporations with less than 10 employees | None | N/A | None | None | Pay Equity Act |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Yes | Public sector employees with 10 or more employees | Passed on April 1, 2023, requiring public and private employers to include pay or pay range in all job postings. Enforcement date TBD, waiting on proclamation by Lieutenant-Governor in Council | All employers | Yes–passed on April 1, 2023, waiting on proclamation for effective date | None | Proposed Pay Equity and Pay Transparency Act |
| Northwestern Territories | None | N/A | None | N/A | None | None | N/A |
| Nova Scotia | Yes | Provincial civil service, Crown corporations, hospitals, education entities, universities, municipalities, and municipal enterprises | None | N/A | Yes | None | Bill No. 221 |
| Nunavut | None | N/A | None | N/A | None | None | N/A |
| Ontario | Yes–gender based. Employers with 100 or more employees are required to prepare pay equity plans | Public sector employees and private employers with 10 or more employees | None | N/A | None | None | Pay Equity Act |
| Prince Edward Island | Yes–gender based | Public sector employees | Effective June 1, 2022, requiring employers to include a proposed salary or salary range in job postings | Prince Edward Island employers | Yes–passed June 1, 2022 | None | Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act (Bill No. 119) |
| Quebec | Yes–gender based. Employers must perform an initial pay equity exercise, inform all employees of the results, and adjust salaries accordingly. Must perform this evaluation every 5 years. Must also file a “declaration of the employer in terms of pay equity” annually | Private companies with 10 or more employees | None | N/A | None | None | Bill 10–Pay Equity Act Amendment in 2019 |
| Saskatchewan | Yes–gender based | Public sector | None | N/A | None | None | Pay Equity Policy Framework |
| Yukon | None | N/A | None | N/A | None | None | N/A |
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Pay Transparency Legislation Series, Ep. 9: Navigate the Changing Global Landscape – Webinar On-Demand
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