Canada NewsWire
GATINEAU, QC, Nov. 25, 2020
Canada is the first country to make this level of information publicly available
GATINEAU, QC, Nov. 25, 2020 /CNW/ - Equality and inclusion in the workplace are an important part of building a strong middle class and giving all Canadians a real and fair chance at success.
This is why today, the Minister of Labour, Filomena Tassi, announced that the Government of Canada is addressing wage gaps in federally regulated workplaces by publishing the final Regulations Amending the Employment Equity Regulations to introduce new pay transparency measures.
Canada is the first country to be making wage gap information for women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities working in federally regulated workplaces publicly available. Raising awareness of wage gaps in federally regulated workplaces gives employers the opportunity to show leadership in reducing them. Releasing data on wage gaps in our workplaces will help shift business culture and expectations toward greater equality and better outcomes for workers and their families.
The legislative amendment to the Employment Equity Act and supporting regulations will come into force on January 1, 2021. The following year (June 1, 2022), employers will be required to include aggregated wage gap information in their annual reporting on employment equity. The first release of aggregated wage gap information will be available in the Employment Equity Act: Annual Report 2022 and through an online application.
These new measures harmonize with other important changes the Government is making, such as implementing the Pay Equity Act, workplace harassment and violence prevention regulations, and a new Administrative Monetary Penalties regime. Together, these efforts will help create workplaces where workers feel safe, valued, included and secure. These are the conditions where workers will be able to do their best work, and that is good for employers, the economy and all Canadians.
Quote
"We always need to look to the future. Today, we make meaningful and lasting change to help Canadian workers and workplaces get ahead and make Canada an even better place to work. These pay transparency measures will help Canadian workplaces become more just, inclusive, diverse, and ultimately more productive."
– Minister of Labour, Filomena Tassi
Quick Facts
Related Products
Backgrounder: New pay transparency measures in federally regulated workplaces
Associated Links
SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada
View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2020/25/c4174.html