BC Set To Make Employers Include Salary Ranges On Job Posts & Some Say It’s 'About Damn Time'

A new law will require B.C. employers to share wage information or salary ranges in job postings — and people on Reddit are rejoicing at the news.

In a news release on Tuesday, the provincial government said this change will help close the gender pay gap. If passed, the legislation will come into effect on November 1, 2023, for B.C. government jobs, and then in November of the following year for all other employers with 1,000 employees or more. Smaller and smaller companies will be concerned by the measure ove time.

Another part of the law would forbid hiring committees from asking job applicants for their pay history "or punish employees who disclose their pay to co-workers or potential job applicants – actions known to contribute to the gender pay gap," according to the release.

While this may be great news for West Coast job hunters, a lot of Redditors are hesitant to celebrate just yet; they anticipate some companies to "find loopholes around providing salaries" by indicating a broad range that isn't entirely helpful.

Redditors aren't the only ones with a bone to pick with the new legislation. A group of organizations sent an open letter to the government outlining the difference between pay transparency and pay equity, arguing that what's needed is a law that addresses the "entrenched discrimination" against women and other people who are marginalized due to their gender, race, or disabilities.

Still, many people have hope that this is a move in the right direction and that the roll-out process will be regulated in some way.

The implementation of this law will definitely be interesting; here's hoping it goes smoothly and helps job hunters of all identities to find a job that pays fairly.