Closing The Gap: British Columbia Proposes New Pay Transparency Legislation

On March 7, 2023, the British Columbia government introduced Bill 13, the Pay Transparency Act (the "Act"), designed to help close the province's gender pay gap by imposing new disclosure and reporting obligations on certain employers.

New Rules for All Employers

If passed, the Act would require all employers to disclose the expected salary or wage (or expected range) and any other prescribed information for job opportunities that are publicly advertised in any manner.

Further, the Act would prohibit employers from asking job applicants about their pay history or otherwise seeking such information from a third party (e.g., the candidate's current/previous employer), unless the information is publicly available.