On March 7, 2023, the British Columbia government introduced Bill 13, the Pay Transparency Act. The proposed legislation is intended to address the gender pay gap in the province. In 2022, Statistics Canada reported a 17 percent wage gap between women and men in British Columbia.
Pay discrimination is already prohibited in British Columbia under the Human Rights Code. However, if the proposed legislation is passed, as of November 1, 2023, all employers will be required to include wage or salary ranges on all publicly advertised jobs. Additionally, 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.
The proposed legislation will also require employers to publicly post reports on their gender pay gap. This requirement will be introduced according to the following schedule:
- November 1, 2023: BC Public Service Agency and Crown corporations with more than 1,000 employees (ICBC, BC Hydro, WorkSafe BC, BC Housing, BC Lottery Corporation and BC Transit)
- November 1, 2024: all employers with 1,000 employees or more
- November 1, 2025: all employers with 300 employees or more
- November 1, 2026: all employers with 50 employees or more
The British Columbia government is developing regulations that will provide employers with more details about how they will be required to report on the pay gap.
