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Pay Equity

What is Pay Equity?

In 1996, the Quebec government adopted a law to address systemic salary discrimination against women, known as the Pay Equity Act. It requires employers to conduct an evaluation to ensure that predominantly female job categories have access to the same level of maximum compensation as predominantly male job categories of equivalent value. Employers with 10 or more employees were required to comply with the legislation by the end of 2001. 

For further information on the Pay Equity Act, please watch the video below, published by the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST).

The Pay Equity Program At McGill

In 2001, McGill implemented a pay equity program, as required by law. A final report was submitted to the Québec government's Pay Equity Commission on November 21, 2001.

In 2009, the Pay Equity Act was amended to require employers to conduct a pay equity maintenance every five years.

2025 Pay Equity Maintenance

See pay equity update to all staff here.

2020 Pay Equity Maintenance

In November 2020, the University was granted an extension by the CNESST, in accordance with article 101.1 of the Pay Equity Act, to complete the 2020 pay equity maintenance. In its decision, the CNESST required that the 2020 pay equity maintenance be completed and posted no later than 120 days following a settlement or decision regarding complaints related to the 2010 and 2015 pay equity maintenances.  This decision was reasonable since the University considered it could not move forward with the 2020 pay equity maintenance until the process for 2010 and 2015 was finalized.  