Pay transparency in Ontario, BC a step forward – but will it drive true change?
The newest installment of pay transparency became law in Ontario on Jan. 1 this year and, insofar as government meddling in business goes, it’s a biggie. Most government interventions into the corporate world happen under the radar and usually take the form of quiet updates to the labour code. But pay transparency has garnered a lot of mainstream attention and, based on where that attention surfaced (business news, main news and, personal blogs), companies would be well served to take heed lest they be the next target of a corporate activist’s public tirade on Glassdoor.
Pay transparency is one element of a series of policy changes introduced in the Working for Workers Four and Five Acts, made effective in Ontario on Jan. 1, 2026. British Colombia is ahead of the curve and introduced their pay transparency rules in 2025 and their journey provides us with many valuable lessons.
In general terms, pay transparency discloses information about wages, salary ranges, and compensation structures. The goal is to reduce information vagueness between employers and employees, empower workers to negotiate fairly, and help reveal systemic pay gaps—particularly gender-based gaps. Pay transparency focuses on job postings, compensation disclosure, and pay gap reporting. The big changes to note are:
Compensation: Employers must list the compensation range for the advertised role in the...
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