Pay Equity Program

Act: Canada Labour Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. L-2;Canadian Human Rights Act, Section II
Regulation: Equal Wages Guidelines, 1986

To Whom Does This Apply?

Employers in industries that are regulated by the federal government.

Eligible Activities

Any federally regulated workplace in Canada.

Summary

The objective of the Labour Program is to eliminate gender-based wage discrimination in the federal jurisdiction.

Employers are responsible for implementing equal pay. They should be given an opportunity to understand the legislation and should be given sufficient time to implement pay equity plans. The staff of the Labour Program provide promotional and educational support, mediation services, and review employers' compensation systems to provide advice and guidance and to ensure compliance with legislative requirements.

The Labour Program has the following three-step process in order to determine employer compliance and to respond to non-compliance.

Step 1: Education and Promotion

Labour officers provide information for stakeholders outlining rights/obligations of federally-regulated employers, employees and unions. They:

• inform employers of their obligations;
• disseminate educational materials on the roles and responsibilities of employers, employees and unions;
• advise on the means to fulfill these obligations; and
• encourage and support employer associations to work with their members to develop sectoral initiatives.

Step 2: Compliance Monitoring

Labour Program officers monitor employer progress in the achievement of pay equity by:

• measuring the progress of employers towards compliance through a review of wage records; and
• providing guidance to employers on implementing the necessary steps. 

The Labour Program will advise the Canadian Human Rights Commission when employers refuse to implement pay equity within their establishments.

Step 3: Specialized Mediation Assistance

This specialized mediation assistance is available to workplace partners in order to provide them with critical assistance in their efforts at negotiating pay equity solutions.

DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this section is of a general nature only and is not intended to constitute advice for any specific fact situation. For particular questions, the users are invited to contact their lawyer. For additional information, see contact(s) listed below.

New Brunswick Contact(s):
Workplace Equity
Human Resources and Social Development Canada
1045 Main Street
P.O. Box 1166
Moncton, New Brunswick  E1C 8P9
Telephone: 506-851-6640
Fax: 506-851-6645
Web site: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/home.shtml

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National Contact(s):
National Headquarters
Labour Program
Human Resources and Social Development Canada
10th Floor
165 Hôtel de Ville Street
Gatineau, Quebec  K1A 0J2
Telephone: 819-953-7536
Fax: 819-953-8768
E-mail: http://www19.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/workplace_equity/contact_form.shtml
Web site: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/home.shtml