How to Get Ahead of the B.C. Pay Transparency Reporting Deadlines
May 07, 2025
by Annika Reinhardt (CCP®, GRP®, CSCP®)
For many organizations, the deadline for their first B.C. Pay Transparency Report may seem far away, but that's an illusion. In 2025, organizations with 300 or more employees will be required to publish their reports by Nov. 1, followed by companies with 50 or more employees in 2026. Delaying action could leave your organization scrambling to compile accurate data, analyze wage disparities, and implement necessary adjustments, increasing the risk of rushed and incomplete reporting.
Compensation strategy expert, Annika Reinhardt, started reviewing last year's reports of organizations with 1000+ employees, with some key takeaways to note.
Data Collection Takes Time: One of the biggest challenges by companies that were required to report by Nov. 1, 2024 (those with 1000+ employees in B.C.) was the need to survey employees to align their gender information with the requirements of the Gender and Sex Data Standard. As a result, many employees were categorized as "unknown" if they did not update their information or chose not to participate in surveys organizations conducted. This led to reports that may not accurately reflect the true composition and pay gap in the organization, highlighting the importance of proactive communication and data collection efforts. It is important to note that employers are required to let employees know that their gender information will be used for pay transparency reporting (for more info, check Section 6 of the Pay Transparency Act).
Reporting Periods May Vary: Depending on your company's fiscal year, the actual data used for the report might be from the previous year. Many companies that published their pay transparency report on Nov. 1, 2024, relied on data from Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2023—almost a full year prior! If your company is required to report in 2025 and follows a calendar-year fiscal cycle, the data you'll need to use is from 2024. Similarly, smaller companies with 50+ employees that will be reporting in 2026 will use data from this year (2025). Now is the time to conduct trial runs, assess potential gaps, and take corrective actions where possible to ensure accurate and meaningful reporting.
Be Aware of Data Suppression Rules: Under the Pay Transparency Regulation, employers are prohibited from reporting gender-based pay data for any gender category with fewer than 10 employees, to protect individual privacy. While this safeguard is important, it may create challenges for smaller organizations—especially those with close to 50 employees—since 10 individuals represent 20% of the workforce. This could lead to meaningful data being excluded from reports. Organizations should assess their workforce distribution now to understand how data suppression might limit transparency and affect the completeness of their reports.
Giving Context Requires Planning: Although organizations are only required to provide the information outlined in the Pay Transparency Reporting Tool (which is a great starting point—give it a try!), it’s beneficial to go beyond basic reporting. To add real value, organizations should also explain the steps they are taking to address any disparities or identify areas where deeper analysis is needed. For example, the reporting tool focuses solely on the "raw" or "unadjusted" pay gap, which calculates the average hourly pay of women compared to men without adjusting for factors like job role, tenure, experience or performance. While this raw data is an important first step, it often requires further explanation to provide meaningful insights. Offering context on why a gap exists and conducting deeper statistical analysis where appropriate will help organizations present a clearer and more accurate picture.
Internal Awareness and Buy-In Need to Happen Early: Pay transparency initiatives require alignment between the People, Finance, and Leadership teams. Starting early allows your organization to educate internal parties and align your compensation philosophy before you have to publicly report. Although reports don't have to be submitted to the Pay Transparency Office per se, organizations need to ensure the report is publicly visible, meaning it should be easily accessible on your website or another public online platform so that everyone can access it.
What are you waiting for? Get started now!
Organize Your Data: Ensure gender data follows the Gender and Sex Standard and is voluntarily updated and reported.
Try out the Pay Transparency Reporting Tool: Familiarize yourself with how it works using your BCeID login. Check if there are any data suppression issues that you might want to have additional commentary on.
Review Other Reports: Taking a look at other published reports can provide insights into industry benchmarks and best practices. Annika has compiled a simple spreadsheet with 20+ reports and contextual commentary—if you’d like access, reach out via her email below.
Engage Leadership and Employees: Ensure all parties understand the potential impact of your pay transparency report well before publication.
Monitor Regulatory Updates & Give Feedback: While there are currently no legal penalties for non-reporting, the B.C. Pay Transparency Office tracks published reports and shares insights annually (check out last year's annual report), which could influence future regulatory expectations. The regulation will be reviewed in 2028, and you can ensure changes are made where needed. When you use the reporting tool, there is a survey to provide feedback and you can email PayTransparency@gov.bc.ca.
If you have any questions about any of the above, reach out to Annika Reinhardt (annika@talentcollective.co) and don't forget to ask her about her spreadsheet tracking currently published pay transparency reports.