With smaller broader public sector employers like daycares and
women’s shelters already facing declining government funding,
a recent Court decision overturning the Pay Equity
Tribunal’s long standing practice of not requiring employers
using the proxy method of comparison to go back to the original
Proxy employer for updated male comparator information to maintain
pay equity could mean further significant costs to these
organizations already struggling to meet the demands of those they
service in our communities.
Since 1993, employers in the broader public sector (as defined
in the Pay Equity Act “PEA” and
Regulations) who did not have sufficient male comparators in their
organization to conduct a pay equity analysis were required to use
the “Proxy” method of comparison. These
“Seeking” employers were generally smaller, female
dominated workforces. Using male comparator data
provided by a “Proxy Employer” (generally larger public
sector employer where job rates
