The British Columbia Pay Transparency Act (the “PTA”) came into effect on May 11, 2023.
Under the PTA, employers above a certain size are required to complete and post pay transparency reports. Pay transparency reports are documents that publicly disclose data on gender-based pay gaps within organizations.
The requirement to complete and post these reports came into effect in stages starting in November 2023. The first stage of the rollout included the BC government, BC Hydro, BC Housing, BC Lottery Corp., BC Transit, ICBC, and WorkSafeBC. The second stage included all employers with 1,000 employees in BC or more were required to complete. The third stage included all employers with 300 employees in BC or more. The fourth and final stage includes all employers with 50 employees in BC or more.
By November 1, 2026, all employers with 50 employees or more must post pay transparency reports. As this deadline is approaching, employers with 50 employees or more will want to ensure they are ready to comply with this reporting requirement.
Reporting Period
A pay transparency report 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.
Required Information
There are two types of information needed to create the pay transparency reports:
Employee Information, including
a. gender classification;
b. hours worked;
c. ordinary pay;
d. special salary;
e. overtime hours;
f. overtime pay; and
g. bonus pay.
Employer Information, including employer name and address
a. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code;
b. employee count range;
c. reporting year; and
d. time period.
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.
Preparing Reports
To support employers in preparing pay transparency reports, the BC government has created an online reporting tool. The tool provides employers with a sample spreadsheet to input employee information required for the report, including gender, hours worked, and pay, etc. When an employer uploads this document to the BC government website, a draft report is created, which the employer can then finalize and download.
Reports Must Be Posted Online
Notably, employers must post the final report on a publicly accessible website. Employers cannot post the report to its intranet.
In instances where an employer does not have a website, employers must post the report in a visible place in each workplace and make it available to anyone upon request. If you have questions regarding this article or the Pay Transparency Act reporting requirements, please contact your Harris lawyer.
