Pay Transparency Legislation Enacted

On May 11, 2023, the Pay Transparency Act (the “Act”) received Royal Assent and became law in British Columbia. It enacts new requirements for employers in the province to address pay inequity in their organizations.

As of Royal Assent, all employers are prohibited from seeking information about a job applicant’s prior wage or salary history by any means, unless the pay history information is publicly accessible. Employers are also prohibited from retaliating against employees who make inquiries about their pay, or disclose information about their pay to another employee or to a job applicant, among other protected actions.

Effective November 1, 2023, all employers must when advertising a job opportunity publicly, specify in the advertisement either the expected salary or wage for the job, or the expected salary or wage range for the job.

Employers designated as “reporting employers” will have to prepare and post pay transparency reports on or before November 1st each year.

Further information about the Act can be found in our next Newsletter.

Michelle Blendell

Download pdf: Pay Transparency Legislation Enacted