B.C. starts process to ensure equal pay for equal work

As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, the British Columbia government has announced the first steps towards closing the gender pay gap in the province.

The government is set to begin consultations on new pay transparency legislation which would help ensure equal pay for equal work.

Grace Lore, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity, said B.C. has one of the largest gender pay gaps in Canada with women making, on average, about 20 per cent less than men.

“Indigenous women, women of colour, immigrant women, and Two-Spirit, non-binary and transgender people also face barriers that others do not. We want to hear from a variety of groups and individuals so that we can build made-in-B.C. pay transparency legislation that will help us address pay inequity and move toward equality,” said Lore.

The province will start consultations this spring with Indigenous organizations, public- and private-sector employer groups, business and union organizations, equity-seeking organizations and groups that work to create equal opportunity for women, as well as employers who have already established pay transparency policies.

“For over 110 years, people all over the world have reserved this day to show our respect for and recognize the achievements of women and girls,” said Harry Bains, Minister of Labour. “We also know the fight for equality is ongoing. This is why we are taking the next step toward our commitment to introduce pay transparency in B.C.”

The government said the new legislation and will build upon other programs to close B.C.’s pay gap, such as investments in child care, increasing housing for women and children fleeing violence, raising B.C.’s minimum wage and liquor-server wages, 80 per cent of whom are women.

B.C. is one of four provinces — along with Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador — without either pay transparency or pay equity legislation.

Felicia Bochicchio, CEO at Unbounce, a software company based in Vancouver, said company leaders have a responsibility to ensure its employees are receiving equal pay for equal work, and the onus should no longer fall on women and other marginalized groups.

“Pay transparency legislation is a huge leap forward in addressing and hopefully closing the gender pay gap. At Unbounce, our journey of prioritizing equal pay and encouraging others to do the same continues and we’re looking forward to joining like-minded companies in reaching full-pay transparency in 2022,” said Bochicchio.