Pay Equity Consultants Montreal
The Greater Montreal metropolitan area offers countless employment opportunities for the city’s 2.3 million workers. Leading industries include retail commerce, manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, finance and software-as-a-service. Local enterprises often have to manage a large workforce, with over 360,000 individuals employed in B2C and B2B sales alone. To comply cost-effectively with Quebec labor laws, many organizations enlist the help of pay equity consultants in Montreal.
Montreal Pay Equity Laws
Implementing programs to promote equal pay on the job isn’t optional for enterprises. In fact, all businesses in Montreal and the rest of the province with at least 10 employees must comply with the Pay Equity Act. Of course, managing compensation and benefits programs becomes more difficult the larger your workforce, which is why medium- and large-scale organizations benefit from partnering with pay equity consultants in Montreal.
The goal of the Pay Equity Act is to ensure that men and women receive equivalent compensation for tasks of equal value. In practice, this means that your business needs to conduct a pay equity exercise and create a comprehensive plan for fair work compensation. This process involves several steps:
- Create a list of all workplace tasks, job classes and positions
- Analyze the breakdown of each position and job class in terms of male, female or neutral distribution
- Assign a realistic value to the work performed in each area
- Calculate compensation levels between male and female job classes
- Compare your calculated pay scales to industry benchmarks
The government requires employers in Montreal, Quebec to update pay equity programs every five years, showing proof of plan compliance and resolution of any new gender pay gaps. At the same time, businesses must track and resolve pay equity problems whenever they appear, such as when creating a new job position or changing the terms of work roles.
Benefits of Working With Pay Equity Consultants in Montreal
One of the biggest reasons organisations seek out pay equity consulting services is to comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Compliance failures can result in audits by the La Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), penalties and interest payments — over and above any owed compensation.
Beyond the risks of lawsuits, there are compelling reasons to take pay equity seriously:
- Improve Employee performance: Fair wages play a critical role in employee satisfaction, leading to higher-quality work and increased productivity from motivated employees.
- Hiring advantages: A significant proportion of skilled professionals are women, and organisations with strong pay equity policies are better positioned to attract talented female workers.
- Enhanced worker loyalty: Few things drive employee turnover more then pay disparities among colleagues. Fair pay fosters a sense of appreciation and strengthens loyalty.
Unfortunately, pay equity programs in Montreal, Quebec are complex because they usually involve comparing jobs that aren’t exactly alike. Consultants understand the process and help employers avoid costly mistakes.
Sources:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1339160/montreal-employment-level-industry/
https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/E-12.001
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/pay-equity/
https://www.swifthr.ca/web/pay-equity/penalties-for-employers/