Last day of no pay range: BC's salary transparency rules kick in tomorrow
Job-seekers in BC can say goodbye to guesswork when it comes to salary when the province’s new laws on pay transparency kick in Wednesday.
Starting November 1, all publicly posted jobs in BC will need to include a salary range. And the range needs to have both an upper and a lower end — something vague like $18 per hour and up won’t cut it.
These are examples of acceptable ways of advertising the range:
- $20 per hour
- $20-$30 per hour
- $40,000 per year
- $40,000-$60,000 per year
Candidates are still allowed to negotiate for a salary higher than the posted range, and employers are allowed to offer a star candidate more money than the advertised range to seal the deal.
The requirement also applies to jobs listed in other jurisdictions if the position is open to BC residents and may be filled by someone living in BC — either in-person or remotely.
General “help wanted” signs or recruitment campaigns aren’t covered by the requirement. An advertisement needs to mention a specific job to have a corresponding pay range.
No questions about pay history
The legislation also prohibits employers from asking about pay history at previous positions. It also forbids employers from disciplining an employee who’s revealed information about their pay to coworkers.
What’s more, the new Pay Transparency Act mandates pay transparency reports for large employers. Crown corporations including BC Hydro, ICBC, and WorkSafeBC must post annual pay transparency reports starting this year, and the rules will expand to include any company with more than 50 employees by 2026.
With files from Daily Hive’s Amir Ali