Regarding pay equity, we would encourage the federal government to consider instituting strategies, policies, practices, and programs that have encountered success elsewhere. Engineers Canada is encouraged to see that the federal government has committed to pay equity legislation in its 2017 federal budget. We encourage the government to consider instituting practices that have been established internationally, such as gender audits for businesses with more than 10 employees, and subsequent fines for non-compliance, such as seen in Denmark; publishing pay data, such as seen in Belgium, Finland, and the United Kingdom; gender equality programs as part of human resources policies, as seen in Iceland; and encouraging all Canadian provinces to adopt best practices around equal pay for equal work. The federal government can use the existing model that already exists in some provinces, such as Ontario, which has requirements for both private and public employers to implement strategies to address pay equity.
Thank you.