About the Pay Equity Commission
The Pay Equity Commission is composed of two separate and distinct bodies: the Pay Equity Office and the Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal.
The Pay Equity Office offers information to help employers and employees understand their rights and responsibilities under the Pay Equity Act.
The Pay Equity Office also investigates complaints alleging contravention of the Pay Equity Act. Staff of the Office attempt to help parties resolve their dispute on their own; where the parties are unable to reach agreement, staff of the Office will resolve the dispute by issuing an Order or Notice of Decision.
Where the Office issues an Order or Notice of Decision, a party may appeal the Order or Decision to the Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal, which has exclusive jurisdiction to determine all questions of fact or law that arise in any matter before it. The decisions of the Tribunal are final and conclusive for all purposes.
Our Mandate
The Pay Equity Office promotes gender economic equality by administering Ontario’s Pay Equity Act.
The purpose of the Act is to eliminate pay inequity between women and men who perform work that is of comparable value to their organization.
The Act applies to all public sector organizations in Ontario, and to private sector organizations with 10 or more employees.
Our Services
The Office fulfils its mandate through a range of services and activities, including:
- Investigating complaints from employees or employers regarding alleged contraventions of the Pay Equity Act and, where appropriate, issuing Orders for compliance;
- Offering information to the general public about the requirements of the Pay Equity Act; and
- Monitoring workplaces for compliance with the Pay Equity Act and, where appropriate, referring matters to the Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal for further enforcement.