Heads up for those in BC who are itching to discuss wages with each other… the Provincial Government is passing legislation to make it legal.
Here is the email I received from my MLA's office yesterday in reply to an email I sent regarding how employers can punish employees in BC for discussing wages and how it has helped with our horrendous gender pay gap:
“My name is Zoe and I am one of Mitzi Dean’s Constituency Assistance. Thank you for emailing her to discuss your concerns regarding the gender pay gap. She is sitting in the House today, but asked that I email you back to share the exciting news that our government introduced a Bill into the house this morning which addresses these exact issues!
Once this legislation is passed, all employers, as of November 1st, 2023, will be required to include wage or salary ranges on all publicly advertised jobs. In addition, as soon as the legislation is in force, B.C. 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 – actions known to contribute to the gender pay gap.
Regulations will also be developed for the fall that will provide employers with more details about how they will be required to report on the pay gap. The goal is to ensure that addressing the pay gap goes beyond the gender binary, making B.C. the first jurisdiction in Canada to take this approach. The pay gap also disproportionately impacts Indigenous women, women of colour, and immigrant women, as well as women with disabilities and non-binary people and so B.C. will also look at ways demographic data can be safely collected from employees using the province's Gender and Sex Data Standard and work underway that follows the new Anti-Racism Data Act.
Thank you once again for writing your concerns to Mitzi. I hope this announcement today will bring you comfort that our government recognizes the issues constituents are facing and are actively working to bring the changes that are so desperately needed.”