Bill 3 will force firms to post salary range, forbid questions on pay history, says Labour Minister Kevin Flynn.

New legislation has passed that will force employers to publish salary ranges in a move meant to help narrow the gender pay gap.

Bill 3, the Pay Transparency Act, also means companies cannot ask potential employees about their pay history.

Firms will also have to report salaries to the ministry, broken down by gender and other factors.

“We’re the first province in all of Canada … to introduce a comprehensive package of measures that’s going to increase pay transparency,” Labour Minister Kevin Flynn said in the legislature last week.

“The legislation is a new tool in our tool kit. It’s going to promote workplace equity. It’s going to shine a light on pay inequity and on biases, and it’s going to help employers to eliminate them.”

On average, women earn about 30 per cent less than men, a number that has not changed in the past decade, the government says.

The bill passed third reading last week, with the support of the NDP. Progressive Conservative MPPs in attendance voted against.

The government made some changes to the bill after hearing concerns that only public sector and large employers — those with 250-plus employees — would be covered. Now, companies with 100 or more employees are included, which will cover about 70 per cent of workers in the province.

Companies will have to report their pay practices within their workplace, as well as to the Ministry of Labour.

The Equal Pay Coalition was pleased the law was boosted with “clear deadlines for filing reports” and a no-exemption rule.

 

Originally posted on www.thestar.com  Published on May 1, 2018 by Kristin Rushowy