NationTalk: Employment and Social Development Canada – Every Canadian deserves a real and fair chance at success. Reducing pay gaps and improving representation means knocking down the barriers that hold back marginalized communities in the workplace. In order to do this, we need to know where the gaps are.Today, Minister of Labour, Seamus O’Regan Jr., launched Equi’Vision, a new website that shines light on the barriers to equity experienced by women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities in federally regulated private sector industries. It provides user-friendly, easily comparable data on workforce representation rates and the pay gaps experienced by members of the four designated groups recognized under the Employment Equity Act. With Equi’Vision, Canada becomes the first country in the world to make this level of information publicly available.Equi’Vision data is submitted by employers with 100 or more employees as part of their annual reporting to the Labour Program under the Employment Equity Act. Individual employee information, including data related to individual salaries, is not reported or disclosed.Better information leads to better, more informed decision making. By making this information publicly available, the Government aims to draw attention to the persistent issues in Canadian workplaces that are maintaining pay gaps and preventing representation, so that businesses are encouraged to act upon them.Reducing pay gaps and improving representation requires all partners – businesses, workers and government – joining together to help create safe and inclusive workplaces for all workers, because that’s where workers are at their best. That’s a good thing for our economy, and for all Canadians.

Quotes

“If we’re going to close pay gaps and representation gaps, we have to know where those gaps are. There’s no equity without transparency.”– Minister of Labour and Seniors, Seamus O’Regan Jr.

Quick facts

• Since January 1, 2021, federally regulated private sector employers (with 100 or more employees) covered by the Act are required to report their salary data in a way that shows aggregated wage gap information. On August 16, 2023, the Minister of Labour tabled the Employment Equity Act: Annual Report 2022, which provides the 2021 data on employment equity in these workplaces and, for the first time, pay gap information.
• The Employment Equity Act applies to federally regulated private-sector employers (e.g., cross provincial or international road, air, marine and rail transportation, banking, and postal and courier services), federal Crown corporations, other federal organizations with 100 or more employees, the federal public service, including separate agencies, and other federal public sector employers. In 2022, the federally regulated private-sector employers reporting under the Act included 566 employers and over 800, 000 employees. Overall, the federally regulated private-sector comprises approximately 19,000 employers and 990,000 employees.
• To further support improving equity in the workplace, employers are encouraged to:
  • consult the online guide: How to improve workplace equity: Evidence-based actions for employers;
  • consult our webpage on pay gap reporting in federally regulated private-sector workplaces; or
  • reach out to the Labour Program at 1-800-641-4049 if they need assistance understanding the pay gap reporting measures.
• The Pay Equity Act, which came into force on August 31, 2021, creates a complementary proactive pay equity regime that will ensure that women and men working in federally regulated workplaces (including the federal public and private sectors, parliamentary workplaces, the Prime Minister’s office and ministers’ offices) receive equal pay for work of equal value.
• On December 11, 2023, Minister O’Regan and Professor Blackett announced the release of the Employment Equity Act Review Task Force’s final report: A Transformative Framework to Achieve and Sustain Employment Equity. In response, the Government announced a number of initial commitments to modernize the Act, including the creation of two new designated groups under the Act: Black people and 2SLGBTQI+ people; and replacing the term “Aboriginal Peoples” with “Indigenous Peoples.” Legislation will be introduced following targeted consultations.

Associated links

• Pay gap reporting in federally regulated private-sector workplaces
• Legislated Employment Equity Program 
• Government of Canada announces that the Pay Equity Act will come into force on August 31, 2021
• Minister O’Regan receives Task Force report on Employment Equity Act modernization

Contacts
For media enquiries, please contact:

Hartley Witten
Press Secretary and Senior Communications Advisor
Office of the Minister of Labour and Seniors, Seamus O’Regan Jr.
343-575-1065
hartley.witten@labour-travail.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca