Province wants to ban 'salary history' questions in job interviews

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador has introduced a new legislation that will prohibit employers from requesting pay history information from their applicants, among other regulations, in a bid to promote pay transparency in workplaces.

The new bill, titled "An Act Respecting Pay Equity for the Public Sector and Pay Transparency for the Public and Private Sectors," will also make public and private employers comply to the following regulations;

• Required to include information regarding pay in publicly advertised job postings
• Prohibited from penalizing an employee or applicant for inquiring about or disclosing pay information, or requesting that the employer comply with the Act
• Require certain employers to prepare pay transparency reports

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Bernard Davis, minister responsible for Labour, said the new regulations will even the employment field and address the gender wage gap in the province.

"Pay transparency is just one step in the process of pay equity. It is one mechanism to help level the employment playing field, and another step to help address the gender wage gap in Newfoundland and Labrador," said the minister.

Meanwhile, the bill also provides the following regulations on pay equity for public sector employers:

• Require public sector employers to implement compensation practices to value jobs based on four criteria: skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions
• Designate a commissioner under the Public Service Commission Act to act as the Pay Equity Officer

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"This legislation is a positive step forward for gender equality and for populations who have experienced discrimination in the workplace such as women, gender-diverse people, members of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, Indigenous people, Black and racialized people, people with disabilities, and other intersecting identities," said Pam Parsons, minister responsible for women and gender equality.

Deputy premier Siobhan Coady said that she’s "pleased" with the development, which recognizes skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions in job evaluation.

Consultations to inform the public on the regulations of the act, particularly on the reporting requirements and timelines for implementation, will take place in the fall. The government will also consult with employers and stakeholders to determine the next steps for implementing pay equity in the private sector.

"Details on a fulsome consultations process will be shared in the coming weeks," said Davis.