Canadian employers have been busy with compliance requirements these past few years. There have been a ton of compliance deadlines to stay on top of. It’s challenging and overwhelming and, let’s face it, we know compliance can be a little *ugh*.
That’s where we come in!
This blog is a resource to help Canadian employers meet their federal and provincial obligations in 2024. It provides an overview of the compliance requirements that should be kept top of mind this year.
So, let’s jump into what you need to know about your 2024 compliance deadlines as a Canadian employer!
Upcoming Compliance Deadlines in 2024
Accessible Canada Act (Federally Regulated Employers)
The Accessible Canada Act’s goal is to advance accessibility and DEI across Canada, creating a barrier-free Canada by 2040. As a result, federally regulated employers must publish an Accessibility Plan and annual Progress Reports.
Ensuring compliance with the Accessible Canada Act involves consulting people with disabilities in the development of your Accessibility Plan, creating processes to receive and respond to feedback, and reporting on the progress of plan implementation annually.
Here are the Accessible Canada Act deadlines you need to keep in mind for 2024:
- Organizations with 10-99 employees must create and publish their first Accessibility Plan by June 1st, 2024.
- Organizations with 100+ employees must create and publish their first Progress Report by the date which they submitted their Accessibility Plan in 2023. For example, if you submitted your Plan on March 31st, 2023, you will need to submit your Progress Report by this date.
Looking for more information on your compliance requirements and what needs to be included in your Accessibility Plan? Download our free summary!
Pay Equity (Federally Regulated Employers)
The Pay Equity Act establishes a proactive pay equity regime for federally regulated workplaces with 10+ employees that requires them to develop and implement a Pay Equity Plan. The plan must address any pay equity gaps in their compensation structure within 3 years of becoming subject to the Act.
This Pay Equity Act was designed to ensure that employers are providing equal pay to men and women doing work of equal value, with the goal of diminishing the pay gap and advancing equity in the workplace.
Here are the Pay Equity deadlines you need to keep in mind for 2024:
- Posting the Draft: Employers must post a draft of their Pay Equity Plan to ensure adequate time (60 days) for employees to provide feedback and to implement this feedback into their final plan. In reality, this means that employers will need to post their draft plan by Spring 2024 in order to meet the Fall 2024 deadline for posting their final plans.
- Publishing the Final Plan: Employers must publish the final version of their Pay Equity Plan, after review and consideration of employee feedback, by September 3, 2024.
Pay Transparency (All BC Employers)
The BC Pay Transparency Act was passed in May 2023. As a result, BC employers are required to adhere to new guidelines when communicating pay information to current and potential employees.
Here are the Pay Transparency deadlines you need to keep in mind for 2024:
- By November 1, 2024: all employers with 1,000+ employees must post an annual pay transparency reports.
- By November 1, 2025: all employers with 300+ employees must post an annual pay transparency reports.
- By November 1, 2026: all employers with 50+ employees must post an annual pay transparency reports.
For more details on your pay transparency obligations as a BC employer, download our free summary!
Legislated Employment Equity Program (LEEP) (Federally Regulated Employers)
All federally regulated employers with 100 or more employees are impacted by the Employment Equity Act, and, as a result, LEEP. Employment equity is a proactive approach to achieving and sustaining substantive equality in the workplace.
Here are the Employment Equity deadlines you need to keep in mind for 2024:
- By June 1, 2024: Employers must submit their annual employment equity reports to the Labour Program.
- The employer report must have the previous calendar year’s information on:
- their overall workforce, and
- their employees from the 4 designated groups:
- Women,
- Indigenous peoples,
- persons with disabilities, and
- members of visible minorities.
- The employer report must have the previous calendar year’s information on:
Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention (WHVP) (Federally Regulated Employers)
The Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention (WHVP) Regulations has several requirements that are due for review and renewal in 2024.
The review process is mandatory for all employers who are subject to the regulations, and it’s a great opportunity to assess how well your current system is working and to make improvements as needed.
Here are the WHVP deadlines you need to keep in mind for 2024:
- WHVP Policy: Federally regulated employers must develop and implement a WHVP policy. This policy must be reviewed and updated at least once every three years. As a result, employers who have implemented their policy in 2021 will be due to review the policy this year.
- Workplace Assessment: Employers must conduct a workplace assessment to identify risk factors that could lead to increased occurrences of workplace harassment and violence. The assessment must be reviewed every three years, updating as necessary. If you conducted your last workplace assessment in 2021, you would need to do so again this year.
Consult the Regulations for more information and details!
Compliance is overwhelming… but it doesn’t have to be!
We know that staying on top of every new legislation thrown your way and trying to stay compliant – especially when you’re also trying to run a business – is hard, to say the least.
Envol has developed a pragmatic approach that will help you comply and set you up for success in the long-term. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can support your business and help you navigate compliance with ease. We’re here to help!