Pay Equity Act (Canada)

The Pay Equity Act governs the proactive pay equity regime by requiring employers with 10 or more federally regulated employees to examine their compensation practices to ensure that women and men receive equal pay for work of equal value. The Pay Equity Act covers approximately 1.3 million employees in the following sectors:

• the federal private sector
• the federal public sector, including:
• the public service
• federal Crown corporations
• the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• the Canadian Armed Forces
• the Parliamentary precinct (for example, MP’s offices, Senate, House of Commons, Library)
• Ministers’ offices and the Prime Minister’s office, and First Nation Band Councils and Indigenous Self-Governments (certain activities). Indigenous Governing Bodies (such as First Nation Band Councils) are currently exempt from the Act until a date specified by the Governor in Council