The BC Government has announced two pay changes that will affect employers in BC: a minimum wage increase and the passing of the Pay Transparency Act.
Minimum Wage Increase
Effective June 1, 2023, the minimum wage in BC will increase from $15.65 to $16.75 per hour.
This 6.9% increase in the minimum wage reflects BC’s average annual inflation rate in 2022. Minimum wage adjustments have occurred on June 1st of each year and have been tied to inflation increases.
Pay Transparency
The BC Government passed a new Pay Transparency Act on May 11, 2023 to improve pay equity for Indigenous women, women of colour, immigrant women, women with disabilities and non-binary people. This new legislation places requirements on employers to address systemic discrimination in the workplace and to reduce the gender pay gap.
For employers, the Pay Transparency Act places new requirements on employers, including the following:
- Employers can no longer ask job applicants about what they have been paid at positions with other employers.
- As of November 1, 2023, employers must include the expected pay or pay range for a specific job opportunity that they advertise publicly.
- Employers above a certain size will be required to complete and post pay transparency reports (which have not yet been detailed) in the following stages:
- November 1, 2023: B.C. government, BC Hydro, BC Housing, BC Lottery Corp., BC Transit, ICBC, and Work Safe BC
- November 1, 2024: all employers with 1,000 employees or more
- November 1, 2025: all employers with 300 employees or more
- November 1, 2026: all employers with 50 employees or more
- Employers cannot dismiss, suspend, demote, discipline or harass an employee who asks their employer about their pay or reveals their pay to another employee or someone applying to work for the employer.
More information about this new legislation can be found here.
Posted by Clear HR Consulting on May 31, 2023
