In February, the employer sent RCMP employees an update stating that a request was submitted to the Office of the Pay Equity Commissioner for a three-year extension to complete the initial pay equity exercise. We have since received several messages from members concerned about the wording of that communication.
The employer’s update suggests that if the Commissioner grants the extension, pay equity salary adjustments would only take effect starting on the new date. Please be assured that this is not the case. The Pay Equity Act is very clear on this point: adjustments will be owed retroactively, with interest, effective September 3, 2024.
In practical terms, if you hold a position at any point in a female-predominant job class where adjustments are owed between September 3, 2024, and the date the pay equity adjustments are issued, you will be entitled to them regardless of the end date of the initial pay equity exercise.
Employee representatives on the RCMP pay equity committee have flagged the confusion caused by the employer’s update and have requested clarification. In the meantime, CAPE wanted to make sure affected members had the correct information.
If you have any questions about pay equity, please contact us at equitesalariale-payequity@acep-cape.ca.
