Most Canadians would support a pay transparency law that would require businesses to disclose salary ranges on job postings, according to a survey conducted by Talent.com and Leger.
A survey released Nov. 3, found 84 per cent of respondents conveyed support for pay transparency laws on job postings.
The survey also found that participants believed pay transparency would help close the gender pay gap (61 per cent) and increase pay equity for racial minorities (57 per cent).
“Very broadly, job seekers want it [pay transparency laws],” Robert Boersma, vice president of operations for North America at Talent.com., said in an phone interview Thursday.
“Typically when these laws are adopted and salary transparency is adopted by employers, they can actually expect fewer applications, but more qualified applications.”
PAY TRANSPARENCY IN CANADA
Pay transparency laws have recently gained some traction in Canada.
In June, Prince Edward Island added a new section to the Employment Standards Act that said employers must include compensation figures in all public job postings.
In Ontario, a Pay Transparency Act was introduced in 2018 but was subsequently shelved.
Boersma said pay transparency support typically ranges between 77 and 86 per cent in different provinces.
“I think we'll see more momentum behind these types of laws coming into place,” said Boersma.
DISCUSSING COMPENSATION
The survey found over half of respondents (54 per cent) felt comfortable discussing their compensation with family members.
However, fewer individuals indicated they would feel comfortable discussing pay with friends (38 per cent) and even less when talking to colleagues (32 per cent).
Younger Canadians from ages 18 to 35 were more likely in general to feel comfortable talking about their salary.
“It's becoming less of a taboo topic with the younger generation because [of] their style of work and the way that they look at their work and their life are a little bit more blended,” Boersma said.
“So they [younger Canadians] really see less risk in having those conversations,” Boersma said.
Canadians are split on how they feel about their compensation, with 45 per cent of individuals indicating they are receiving a fair salary and another 43 per cent saying they are not.
The survey also found around a quarter of working Canadians (24 per cent) said they are considering leaving their current position within a year.
Methodology:
The survey was conducted between Oct. 28-30 and collected online responses from 1,534 Canadians over the age of 18.
Advertisement