³ÉÈËVRÊÓÆµ

Pay Equity

The Pay Equity Program At ³ÉÈËVRÊÓÆµ

³ÉÈËVRÊÓÆµ has one pay equity program that includes all eligible job classes across the University from Secretary to Cook to IT Analyst to Professor. Pay equity is assessed within ³ÉÈËVRÊÓÆµ only and it compares predominantly female job classes to predominantly male job classes across the University.

The University is currently working on the 2020 Pay Equity Audit. While this may appear late, the timing reflects the CNESST’s decision to grant the University an extension in November 2020, requiring that the 2020 pay equity maintenance be completed within 120 days of final decisions on the 2010 and 2015 pay equity maintenances. As these decisions were only recently received, and some matters remain unresolved, the University is now proceeding with the 2020 maintenance in accordance with CNESST requirements.

Consult the 2020 Pay Equity Maintenance section below for more information.

2025 Pay Equity Maintenance

See pay equity update to all staffÌýhereÌý(Originally posted on December 23, 2025, revised on February 16, 2026).

2020 Pay Equity Maintenance

In November 2020, the University was granted an extension by the CNESST, in accordance with article 101.1 of the Pay Equity Act, to complete the 2020 pay equity maintenance. In its decision, the CNESST required that the 2020 pay equity maintenance be completed and posted no later than 120 days following a settlement or decision regarding complaints related to the 2010 and 2015 pay equity maintenances.  This decision was reasonable since the University considered it could not move forward with the 2020 pay equity maintenance until the process for 2010 and 2015 was finalized.  

On December 12, 2025, the University was informed that the CNESST had rejected its request for postponement for the 2025 Pay Equity Maintenance. It places the University in a challenging position by requiring the completion of the 2020 and 2025 maintenance exercises without the benefit of final decisions on the 2010 and 2015 maintenances, which remain unresolved.  The University acknowledges this decision and is proceeding with the participation process for the 2020 pay equity audit.

Participation Process for the Pay Equity Audit of December 21, 2020

This communication is made pursuant to the application of the Quebec Pay Equity Act

What is Pay Equity?

Pay equity is equal pay for work of equal value. Workers who perform different but equivalent work in predominantly female job classes should have access to an equal opportunity of pay to those who hold positions in predominantly male job classes within the same organization.

To determine whether wage gaps exist, an employer must evaluate job classes with a method that recognizes so‑called female traits that are often overlooked in wage determination and that allows for the elimination of gender‑based systemic discrimination.

For further information on the Pay Equity Act, please watch the video , published by the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail ().

Purpose of the Pay Equity Act

The purpose of Quebec’s Pay Equity Act is to correct differences in compensation due to the systemic gender discrimination towards persons who occupy positions in predominantly female job classes within an organization.

Employer obligations

The employer must periodically conduct a pay equity audit, to verify whether events that have occurred in the organization since its last pay equity audit have created or recreated wage gaps between female predominant job classes and male predominant job classes. If this is the case, the employer must correct these wage gaps. These pay equity audits must take place every five years.

The participation process is intended to be a consultative process that allows employees affected by the audit to ask questions, present observations or to share information on events that may have occurred between December 21, 2015 (last pay equity audit) and December 21, 2020 (current audit) regarding job classes covered by this pay equity program.

This communication aims to provide information on the ongoing pay equity audit work.

Pay equity audit process

Under the Pay Equity Act, the University was required to conduct a pay equity audit as of December 21, 2020.

Due to delays related to the processing of complaints regarding previous maintenance exercises, the University has been carrying out this process this year.

The following table shows the main steps of the pay equity audit process.

Step 1

Identification of job classes and determination of their gender predominance

Step 2

Selection of the job evaluation method and review of job class evaluations

Step 3

Identification of events that occurred during the pay equity audit period concerning the job classes covered by this pay equity plan

Step 4

Estimation of wage gaps at the identified events and, if applicable, calculation of salary adjustments

Step 5

Posting of pay equity audit results (60 days after the end of the participation process)

Step 1 - Identification of job classes and their gender predominance

The identification of job classes is based on the University’s structure of job profiles.

Gender predominance of job classes was determined in accordance with the criteria set out in the Act. To do so, the University used the following criteria set out in the Act:

  • The existence of a gender-based occupational stereotype
  • The proportion of female and male incumbents within the University for each job class
  • The predominance established during the initial exercise and in previous pay equity audit (historical incumbency)

Step 2 - Job evaluation method

The University has decided to use the same job evaluation method as the one used during the initial exercise and at the previous pay equity audit, namely, the HAY method.

This job evaluation method was selected for its neutral, analytical, and systematic approach. It takes into account the four main factors set out in the Act, namely the required qualifications, responsibilities, efforts required, and conditions under which the work is performed.

Step 3 – Identification of events that occurred during the pay equity audit period

The following events occurred during the period covered by this audit:

  • Salary policies
  • Renewal of collective agreements including M1 unionization to MUNACA and de-unionization of HR positions
  • Changes to compensation structures
  • New, revised or inactive job classes
  • Re-evaluation of job classes

Step 4 - Method for estimating wage gaps

The University is currently reviewing the different methods provided for in the legislation and will confirm the selected method in the posting of results (overall or individual method as per the Pay Equity Act).Ìý

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Participation to the pay equity audit

As an employee represented by a union, association or a non-represented employee included in this pay equity audit, you can ask questions, make observations, or share information with the employer.

To do so, please submit your questions to your union or association representative. If you are not represented, submit your question using this by May 11, 2026 (45 days from March 27, 2026, the date the participation process started). Employees represented by an association may also use the if they prefer.

Next steps

Once the participation process has been completed, the University will analyse the questions and observations that were received. The Act stipulates that the participation process must be completed at least 60 days before the posting of the results of the pay equity audit. At the end of this period, the employer will post the results of this audit for a period of 60 days. This posting will include a summary of the questions or information submitted to the employer during the participation process, as well as the method and results of the wage gap estimation

Tools and Resources

2015 Pay Equity Maintenance

Second Posting

Pay equity message and posting (Posted March 24, 2017)

First Posting

Pay equity message and posting (Posted December 21, 2016)

2010 Pay Equity Maintenance

Second Posting

First Posting

Communications & Other Documents

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