As we discussed in previous articles, the British Columbia Pay Transparency Act and the Pay Transparency Regulation (the “Act”) requires employers complete and post pay transparency reports.
Who Needs to Complete a Pay Transparency Report?
Mandatory pay reporting was rolled out in stages starting in November 2023, largely based on the number of employees. As of November 1, 2026, employers with 50 or more employees are now required to prepare and post a pay transparency report online each year.
What Information must be Included in a Pay Transparency Report?
There are two types of information needed to create the pay transparency reports:
Employee Information, including
Employer Information, including employer name and address
For more information regarding the pay and hour classifications, see this Harris article: Upcoming Pay Transparency Reporting Deadline: Employers with 1,000 Employees or More.
What is the Reporting Period?
Pay transparency reports must cover a 12-month period. This period must either be the most recently completed financial year of the employer, or the calendar year immediately preceding the year in which the pay transparency report is prepared.
How is the Report made?
Employers can prepare a pay transparency report online through the British Columbia government’s online Pay Transparency Reporting Tool: https://paytransparency.fin.gov.bc.ca.
In order to access the Pay Transparency Reporting Tool, employers must login with their BCeID. Employers who do not currently have a BCeID can register online: https://www.bceid.ca/register.
The Pay Transparency Reporting Tool provides employers with a sample spreadsheet to input employee information necessary to complete the report (e.g. gender, hours worked, pay, etc.). Once a report is uploaded to the government website, a draft report is created, which the employer can finalize and download.
Will the Reports be made Public?
The report must be on a publicly accessible website either maintained by the employer or posted on behalf of the employer. Employers must ensure that the pay transparency report is available until the next year.
Employers without a publicly available website must post a copy of the report in a visible place in each workplace and make it available upon request.
When is the Deadline to Submit the Report?
Pay transparency reports must be submitted by November 1st of each year.
What if an Employer does not Submit a Report?
Currently, there are no penalties for failing to comply with the reporting obligations under the Act. However, the Director of Pay Transparency is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Act. In addition, any individual may make a complaint to the Director of Pay Transparency if an employer has not complied with its obligations.
If employers have any questions regarding this article or pay transparency reporting requirements, please contact your Harris lawyer.
