Once pay equity is achieved, all employers subject to the Act are required to maintain pay equity for the employees in female dominated job classes. However, the Act does not stipulate specific procedures or schedules to follow for maintaining pay equity. The purpose of maintaining pay equity is to ensure that pay equity gaps that were closed are not re-opened or widened as a result of changes to job values and job rates and that new gaps are not created.
Maintaining pay equity is an ongoing process whereby employers must review job classes for changes in job rate, job value, duties and responsibilities as positions are added or eliminated. In a unionized environment, employers and unions are prohibited from agreeing to terms that, if implemented, would mean that the minimum requirements of the Act are not met.