SURREY South MLA and Opposition Co-Critic for Finance Stephanie Cadieux reintroduced the Equal Pay Reporting Act in the Legislature on Thursday.

“Even in 2020, pay inequality remains a pervasive issue and it so often goes unaddressed,” said Cadieux. “So many women are still being paid less than their male counterparts for doing the same work and this needs to change. The bill I reintroduced today is designed to take important first steps to tackle this issue and provide an opportunity for businesses to address the inequality that still exists in our province.”

The Equal Pay Reporting Act would require businesses that employ 50 or more people to provide an annual breakdown of the mean and medium regular pay and bonuses provided to all male and female employees. By publicly declaring this information, companies would be encouraged to improve pay equity in their workplaces.

“Eliminating the wage gap between men and women is critical to achieving our goals of inclusivity and sustainability. Women’s work should not be undervalued, nor should women’s skills be underutilized. Discrimination and unconscious biases must also be acknowledged and addressed.  It’s hard to fix something you aren’t looking for,” said Cadieux. “It’s time for the province to take real action on this issue and I urge the government to call the Equal Pay Reporting Act for debate so that businesses will take this important step towards greater equality.”