Guide to Understanding
the Pay Equity Act

Download: Guide to Understanding the Pay Equity Act

Disclaimer: This Guide gives an overview of the minimum requirements of the Pay Equity Act as interpreted by the Pay Equity Office. The interpretations are drawn from our own experiences and by applying the key rulings of the Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal and the courts and is current to the date of publication.

13.8 What are the possible outcomes of investigations?

The Review Officer may try to bring about a settlement between the parties [23. (1)]. Settlement efforts generally proceed only after the Review Officer determines that the issue is one that is within the authority of the Act to address.
The Review Officer may issue an order on the outstanding issue(s) if the Officer believes based on his or her investigation that a contravention has occurred [24, 16. (2)]. An order generally sets out steps that the employer, and union if necessary, must take to comply with the law. An order is binding on the parties named in it. The terms can be varied or revoked as a result of either party requesting a hearing at the Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal.
The Review Officer may issue a “Notice of Decision” in situations where the Officer finds no violation of the Act [23. (2)], or the complaint is not within the within the jurisdiction of the Commission, or because subject of the complaint is trivial, frivolous, vexatious or made in bad faith [23. (3)].