As recently as March 2011, women in Canada made $0.72 on the dollar compared to their male colleagues. (History of these numbers? What it looked like 10 years ago, etc?)
Pay Equity is enshrined in the Canadian Human Rights Code but its application across the country varies. Ontario’s Pay Equity Commission, prescribes job evaluation methods employers must use to achieve and measure adherence to legislation; BC has no pay equity legislation. The Federal Liberal party championed a strengthening of pay equity through Bill C-471, and was decimated in the last election.
Is pay equity even an issue in the Canadian workforce today? Why has the pay gap proven so difficult to close? What progress has been made, through what initiatives? Are the solutions political? Legal? Rooted in HR practice? Something else? What role do HR professionals, unions and women themselves play?
Read about Bill C-471 here, and here, and a strong labour perspective here. Joining us to share her thought provoking perspective on Pay Equity is Carrie Gallant, President of Gallant Solutions Inc.
The Diversity Roundtable will be held at BC HRMA’s office (1111 West Hastings Street, Vancouver)