It’s been a few years already since pay equity was front-page news. However, this does not mean that employers no longer have to worry about this issue.
Quebec’s Commission de l’équité salariale recently announced that it will be investigating employers who had to perform a pay equity initiative by December 31, 2010, but have yet to comply.
If you are the target of such investigation, you will first receive a letter from the Commission, informing you that you are in default, according to the information that it has gathered. The letter will request that you comply with your obligations before the date that will be specified.
You can then get to work to perform a pay equity initiative. You may also decide to challenge the notice by demonstrating that you did not have to perform such initiative by the end of 2010. In either case, be sure to make an informed decision, since an error could be costly. An employer failing to abide with the obligations created by the Pay Equity Act can be liable to a fine of $1,000 to $45,000.