Pay equity in the public service
This web page provides information on the pay equity plans and their progress for the core public administration (CPA), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Importance of pay equity
Historically, work predominantly performed by women in Canada has been under-compensated. While efforts and initiatives over the past decades have helped narrow the gender pay gap over time, a disparity still remains.
Enacted in 2018 and in force since , the Pay Equity Act establishes a proactive pay equity regime for federally regulated workplaces. It aims to close the portion of the gender wage gap that is due to systemic gender-based discrimination and the historic undervaluation of work traditionally performed by women.
Pay equity implementation
Plans and committees
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), on behalf of the Treasury Board as the employer, is facilitating the development of three separate pay equity plans. Each plan is being created by a dedicated pay equity committee made up of employer representatives, representatives of non-unionized employees and union representatives (bargaining agents), except for the CAF because it does not have unionized employees.
Three plans are in development for pay equity:
- a plan for members of the RCMP by
- a plan for members of the CAF by
- a plan for employees in the CPA by
Under the Pay Equity Act, deadlines for posting a pay equity plan may be extended with the approval of the Pay Equity Commissioner. Separate agencies and other federally regulated employers are responsible for developing their own pay equity plans.
The primary goal of these plans is to identify and address pay gaps between jobs predominantly held by women and those held by men when the work performed is of equal value. This initiative is a key step toward achieving and maintaining pay equity in our workplace.
Steps to achieve pay equity
- Identify the job classes of positions in the workplace
- Identify job classes that are predominantly female or predominantly male
- Determine the value of the work performed in each predominantly female and each predominantly male job class
- Calculate the compensation of each predominantly female and each predominantly male job class
- Compare the compensation of predominantly female job classes with that of predominantly male job classes that perform work of equal value to make sure predominantly female job classes receive equal pay for work of equal or comparable value
A large-scale initiative
The work to develop pay equity plans is unprecedented in the federal jurisdiction given the diversity and complexity of the workforce. The scope of work across the CPA is particularly immense, representing the diversity of the needs of the country it serves.
To illustrate, the CPA alone comprises 70 departments and agencies, with over 630 job classes, all covered under one pay equity plan. The range of activities covered by these job classes includes the following, among others:
- conducting geological, medical and other forms of research
- repairing naval vessels
- delivering Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan payments
- issuing passports
- protecting borders
- managing Canada’s immigration programs
- developing international trade agreements
- supporting Canada’s international development and aid efforts
These operations are carried out across hundreds of worksites, both within Canada and around the world.
Progress across pay equity plans
Achieving pay equity is a multi-year journey, and the committees continue to make steady progress across all three pay equity plans.
Last updated: November 2025
Plan 1: core public administration
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Step 1: Identify job classes
The CPA pay equity committee has identified over 630 job classes.
(Completed)
100% -
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Step 2: Determine gender predominance
The CPA pay equity committee has reviewed over half of the job classes to determine the gender predominance based on the set criteria defined in the Pay Equity Act.
(In progress)
75% -
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Step 3: Determine the value of work
A contract was awarded to Ernst & Young (EY) for job evaluation services. TBS has onboarded EY. The next tasks will include EY and the CPA pay equity committee working together to develop a job evaluation plan and job information collection approach.
(In progress)
25% -
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Step 4: Calculate the compensation
Calculation of compensation can begin once the value of work has been determined. It can also be done at the same time as the value of work is being determined.
(Not started)
0% -
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Step 5: Compare the compensation
This step will commence once the calculation of compensation is complete.
(Not started)
0% -
Plan 2: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
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Step 1: Identify job classes
The RCMP pay equity committee has identified over 140 job classes.
(Completed)
100% -
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Step 2: Determine gender predominance
The RCMP pay equity committee has completed the review and determination of gender predominance for all job classes in the previous step.
(Completed)
100% -
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Step 3: Determine the value of work
A contract was awarded to Ernst & Young (EY) for job evaluation services. TBS has onboarded EY. The RCMP pay equity committee and EY are working together on developing a job evaluation plan and job information collection approach.
(In progress)
25% -
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Step 4: Calculate the compensation
The RCMP pay equity committee has finalized which forms of compensation will be included or excluded in the calculation.
The next tasks involve determining the calculation method and then carrying out the calculations in dollars per hour.
(In progress)
50% -
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Step 5: Compare the compensation
This step will commence once the calculation of compensation is complete.
(Not started)
0% -
Plan 3: Canadian Armed Forces
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Step 1: Identify job classes
The CAF pay equity committee has identified over 550 job classes.
(Completed)
100% -
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Step 2: Determine gender predominance
The CAF pay equity committee has completed the review and determination of gender predominance for all job classes identified in the previous step.
(Completed)
100% -
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Step 3: Determine the value of work
A contract was awarded to KPMG for job evaluation services. TBS has onboarded KPMG. The CAF pay equity committee and KPMG are working together on developing a job evaluation plan and job information collection approach.
(In progress)
25% -
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Step 4: Calculate the compensation
Calculation of compensation can begin once the value of work has been determined. It can also be done at the same time as the value of work is being determined.
(Not started)
0% -
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Step 5: Compare the compensation
This step will commence once the calculation of compensation is complete.
(Not started)
0% -
Roles and responsibilities
The Pay Equity Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission
- administers and enforces the Pay Equity Act
- ensures compliance with the Act
- provides tools and guidance to employers, employees and their representatives
- facilitates the resolution of pay equity-related disputes
The employer
- develops a pay equity plan jointly with bargaining agents and non-unionized employee representatives
- posts a pay equity plan within three years of becoming subject to the Act
- submits a request to the Pay Equity Commissioner for an extension to post a final plan if the three-year deadline cannot be met
- provides all relevant information it has (such as job information) to help the committee complete the pay equity plan
- pays any increases in compensation
- reports through annual statements after a pay equity plan has been posted
- updates the pay equity plan at least once every five years
Non-unionized employee representatives
- represent the interests of all non-unionized employees that fall under their respective pay equity plan
- sit on the pay equity committee and participate in fulfilling committee responsibilities
Bargaining agents
- select a representative to sit on the pay equity committee
- work jointly with the employer and non-unionized employee representatives to develop the pay equity plan as part of the pay equity committee work
- provide all relevant information they have (such as job information) to help the committee complete the pay equity plan
- The following bargaining agents are represented on the pay equity committees:
- Core public administration
- Association of Canadian Financial Officers
- Association of Justice Counsel
- Canadian Air Traffic Control Association Unifor Local 5454
- Canadian Association of Professional Employees
- Canadian Federal Pilots Association
- Canadian Merchant Service Guild
- Canadian Military Colleges Faculty Association
- Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 104
- Federal Government Dockyard Chargehands Association
- Federal Government Dockyard Trades and Labour Council (East)
- Federal Government Dockyard Trades and Labour Council (Esquimalt)
- Local 2228 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers
- Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
- Public Service Alliance of Canada
- Unifor Local 2182
- Union of Canadian Correctional Officers
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Canadian Association of Professional Employees
- Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 104
- National Police Federation
- Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
- Public Service Alliance of Canada
- Canadian Armed Forces
- CAF members are not represented by bargaining agents.
- Core public administration
The pay equity committee
- consists of representatives from the employer, the bargaining agents and non-unionized employees
- develops a pay equity plan for the employees in their workplace through consensus at each step of the process
Key highlights
- The initial meeting of the CAF pay equity committee is held.
- The initial meeting of the CPA pay equity committee is held.
- The initial meeting of the RCMP pay equity committee is held.
- First notice to employees of the CPA regarding the Treasury Board obligations under the Pay Equity Act
- First notice to members of the RCMP regarding the Treasury Board obligations under the Pay Equity Act
- The Pay Equity Act comes into force.