Bill 203, Pay Transparency Act: we need your feedback!
The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Ontario Chamber Network, is seeking your feedback on Bill 203, the Pay Transparency Act. If passed, the Act will establish requirements relating to the disclosure of information about compensation (salaries and benefits) of employees and potential employees. We’re seeking your input so that we can accurately represent your views in our advocacy work.
Keep reading to learn about the five major changes proposed by Bill 203 and send us an email with your feedback.
About the Pay Transparency Act
1. Employers may not ask a prospective employee about their compensation history.
- Disclosure of compensation history is to be unprompted/at the discretion of the prospective employee.
- Employers can still research information about salary ranges or aggregated compensation information about particular positions.
2. Employers must include compensation information in publicly advertised job postings.
- This information could be an exact, expected, or a compensation range for all publicly advertised job postings.
3. Employers are expected to submit pay transparency reports to the Ministry of Labour.
- Reports must provide detailed information about the employer, the employer’s workforce composition, and differences in compensation in the employer’s workforce with respect to gender and other prescribed characteristics throughout the workforce.
- Prescribed employers will be required to submit reports to the Ministry of Labour, and to post online and/or in at least one conspicuous location in the workplace.
- It is unclear how these will differ from the pay equity plans expected under the Pay Equity Act, 1990.
4. Employers are prevented from reprisal if employees discuss or disclose salaries in the workplace.
- Also applies to employees inquiring about their own compensation or the employer’s pay transparency reports and asking the employer to comply with the Act or the regulations.
5. The previous four sections will be enforced via compliance officers and complaints to the Ontario Labour Relations Board, and penalties may include fines.
Click here for the full text of Bill 203.
Let Us Know Your Thoughts
The regulations for this legislation have not yet been developed and we still lack a lot of detail about these proposed measures, including how this new Act will differ from and/or interact with the Pay Equity Act.
Hearing your perspective on these changes is critical, as the government continues to make considerable reforms to the province’s labour and employment laws. As the voice of business, we would like to present an informed and comprehensive perspective to the government in consultation, in the media, and as we lead up to the provincial election.
Please send your thoughts, concerns, and questions about Bill 203 to [email protected]