Who is covered?
In Québec, employers with an average of 10 or more employees are subject to the Pay Equity Act. After the initial exercise, they must evaluate whether pay equity has been maintained every five years and post the results.
Why do gaps appear?
Organizations change. Some events can create gaps between predominantly female and predominantly male job classes:
- new jobs or major changes to duties;
- a reorganization or merger;
- a new salary scale or targeted raises;
- bonuses or benefits added for certain jobs only.
The steps of the evaluation
- Identify events since the last exercise or evaluation.
- Update job classes and, if needed, their evaluation.
- Compare pay for predominantly female and predominantly male job classes.
- Calculate the required adjustments and their effective date.
- Post the results within the required time frame and format.
Common pitfalls
Waiting until the last minute, losing the documentation from the previous exercise or overlooking an event during the period are the most common mistakes, and they can make adjustments more costly. Plan the evaluation early and keep a record of changes to your jobs.