Equal Pay for Part-time Workers

Ontario Ensuring Casual, Part-time, Temporary and Seasonal Employees are Paid the Same Wage for Doing the Same Job as Full-time Employees

 Ontario has introduced legislation that will require employers to pay the same wage to part-time employees who do the same job as full-time employees, as part of the government’s plan for fair workplaces and better jobs across the province.

Premier Kathleen Wynne was at Innovative Automation in Barrie today to talk about the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act introduced yesterday. Under the Act, casual, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees would be entitled to be paid the same rate as full-time permanent employees when doing the same job. The proposed measures would also require equal pay for temporary help agency employees doing the same job as permanent employees at the company they are assigned to.

Unemployment is at a 16-year low in Ontario, and the province’s economy has outperformed all G7 countries in real GDP growth over the past three years. Yet the changing nature of work means jobs are less secure, benefits are not the same as they used to be and many employees are struggling to support their families and get ahead. About two-thirds of part-time employees in Ontario are women, so the legislation’s equal pay for equal work provisions also support the government’s efforts to close the gender wage gap.

Ontario is committed to moving forward in a balanced way. Government will work closely with businesses as these changes come into effect, so they can continue to succeed and keep the economy strong. Providing wage parity will help businesses drive up productivity and retain talent, and will boost the economy by increasing workers’ purchasing power.

Creating fair workplaces and better jobs across Ontario is part of our plan to grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.

Quick Facts

  • To ensure fair treatment for all workers, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act would also give employees the right to request a review of their wages if they believe they are not receiving equal pay.
  • The wage parity requirement for casual, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees would not apply to any wage difference based on seniority, a merit system, a system that ties pay to quantity or quality of production, or other factors other than sex or employment status.
  • These provisions are part of a landmark package of proposals to help create Fair Workplaces and Better Jobs. The package includes raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, introducing paid personal emergency leave days for every worker, expanding personal emergency leave and making employee scheduling fairer.
  • The package responds to the final report of the Changing Workplaces Review, the first-ever independent review of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and Labour Relations Act, 1995.

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