Important wage information for employees and job seekers

Whether you are looking for a new job or already have one, you should be able to expect to receive a fair wage. Unfortunately, this isn’t the experience everyone has due to factors like the gender wage gap and unfair compensation practices. However, measures like the Pay Transparency Act are in place to prevent this.

The Pay Transparency Act

Recently, the Pay Transparency Act went into effect. It requires all British Columbia employers to post detailed wage information in public job advertisements. In other words, they must give the reasonably expected wage or salary range in a posting. This information could be in the form of hourly rates or annual salaries, and they cannot use phrasing like “up to” a specific amount. 

This law also restricts employers from asking job candidates about their salary history with other employers. The practice of asking about a person’s previous earnings perpetuated the cycle of issues like paying women less than men.

These measures make wage practices fairer and clearer by making it more difficult to pay certain workers less. They also protect workers’ rights to ask about pay or disclose pay to other workers without facing retaliation.

Other wage-related protections

In addition to the Pay Transparency Act, there are other provincial and federal laws that establish minimum wage, overtime pay requirements and rules for deductions and tips. 

There are also rules for how and when employers must pay employees. For instance, did you know that B.C. laws require minimum daily pay? Though exceptions exist, the law dictates that workers must receive two hours of pay per day they report to work, even if they work less than two hours. If the person is supposed to work an eight-hour shift, that minimum increases to four hours of pay minimum.

Another rule is that pay periods must be within 16 days, ensuring workers are paid at least twice monthly.

If your employer does not pay you in full, on time or fairly, you have the right to seek financial remedies, including payment of wrongfully withheld wages. And if an employer engages in illegal practices, like failing to give accurate wage information in a job posting, they can face legal action and other consequences.