Ontario Pay Equity Office

What Ontario Pay Equity Office does

The Ontario Pay Equity Office (PEO) is a statutory regulatory agency of the Province of Ontario, Canada, operating under the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Established in connection with the Pay Equity Act originally enacted in 1987 (now R.S.O. 1990, c. P.7), the office administers legislation recognized as one of the most advanced pay equity frameworks globally for over 30 years. Its mandate covers all Ontario public sector employers and private sector employers with 10 or more employees; the PEO provides information and guidance, investigates complaints of alleged contraventions, monitors compliance, and helps parties resolve disputes. The agency is led by Commissioner Kadie Philp, headquartered in Toronto, and operates with 11–50 staff alongside a separate, independent Pay Equity Tribunal that hears appeals of its decisions.

The PEO delivers a portfolio of free educational tools, guidance documents, calculators, podcasts, and research publications rather than a commercial technology product. Core offerings include the Pay Equity Solution for Small Business Do-It-Yourself Toolkit (a seven-step compliance guide), a Regression Calculator for use with the Proportional Value Method, the Gender Neutral Job Ads Resource, the Q&A Guide to Ontario's Pay Equity Act, and the annotated Ontario's Pay Equity Act with Selected Case References, 2022. Content products include the award-winning "Level the Paying Field" podcast (recognized with a 2022 Gold Quill Award of Merit and ranked in Canada's Top 100 Podcasts in the Careers category), the "Understanding the Gender Pension Gap in Canada" research paper, and the September 2025 "Theory of Change for Achieving Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value" report shared with the Equal Pay International Coalition. Distribution is primarily via the payequity.gov.on.ca website, social channels, and partnerships with Seneca College, Skills Ontario, HRPA, Catalyst, EDCO, and multiple chambers of commerce.

The PEO does not generate commercial revenue; it is funded through the Province of Ontario's budget as a regulatory and educational body, and all services, resources, and toolkits are provided free of charge to employers, employees, and the public. The office's outreach is anchored by its commissioner and staff speaking at conferences (HRPA, Skills Ontario, EDCO, Canadian Human Rights Commission, Brazil Canada Chamber of Commerce) and engaging in research dissemination to position Ontario as a global reference for pay equity policy. Recent measurable outcomes tracked by the office include a 13% Ontario gender wage gap on average hourly wages (2022), a 17% Canadian gender pension gap, and an acknowledgement that 70% of the wage gap remains unexplained by current research methods.

Name

Ontario Pay Equity Office

Legal name

Ontario Pay Equity Office

Website

https://payequity.gov.on.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ontario Pay Equity Office is a statutory Ontario government agency that administers the Pay Equity Act, providing free compliance guidance, educational toolkits, and enforcement for all Ontario public sector employers and private sector employers with 10 or more employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Regulatory Services

NAICS

Administration of Human Resource Programs (except Education, Public Health, and Veterans' Affairs Programs) (92313), Administration of Human Resource Programs (9231), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Human Services & Benefits Administration (Welfare, Disability, Child & Family) (BPAIABAI)

Keywords

• Pay equity compliance
• Gender wage gap research
• Labour law enforcement
• Workplace equity programs
• Regulatory educational services

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto, ON

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The Pay Equity Office is a government agency funded by the Province of Ontario through the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. The office does not generate commercial revenue but operates as a regulatory and educational body.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Ontario Pay Equity Office administers Ontario's Pay Equity Act, providing information and guidance to employers and employees regarding their rights and responsibilities under the legislation. The office investigates complaints of alleged violations, helps parties resolve disputes, and monitors compliance with the Act. It also publishes research reports, calculators, toolkits, and educational resources to support pay equity implementation.

Product overview

The Ontario Pay Equity Office operates as a regulatory and educational agency rather than a commercial product company. It administers Ontario's Pay Equity Act and provides a portfolio of free educational tools, calculators, reports, and guidance documents. Key offerings include the Do-It-Yourself Toolkit for small businesses to conduct pay equity analysis, the Regression Calculator for proportional value analysis, legal resources including the annotated Pay Equity Act with case references, the Level the Paying Field podcast series (award-winning), and major research publications on the Gender Pension Gap and Theory of Change for achieving pay equity. The office also provides guidance documents, forms, and notices for compliance purposes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Level the Paying Field: Award-winning podcast series exploring economics, equity, women, work and money, examining the gender wage gap.

Products and services

• Pay Equity Solution for Small Business Do-It-Yourself Toolkit A free toolkit that guides small business owners through seven steps to conduct a pay equity analysis and comply with Ontario's Pay Equity Act.
• Regression Calculator for Use with the Proportional Value Method A calculator tool for use with the Proportional Value Method to help employers analyze pay equity in their organizations.
• Level the Paying Field Podcast A six-part video series and podcast exploring economics, equity, women, work, and wage equity, featuring expert discussions on gender wage gap issues.
• Understanding the Gender Pension Gap in Canada Report Comprehensive research paper examining the roots of the gender pension gap in Canada, showing how Canada's retirement income instruments convert gender wage gaps into lower pensions for women.
• Theory of Change for Achieving Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value Comprehensive guide distilling global best practices for overcoming the gender pay gap, with case studies from Ontario, Japan, Luxembourg, Australia, New Zealand, EU, Sweden, South Africa, Spain, and Iceland.
• Ontario's Pay Equity Act with Selected Case References, 2022 An annotated version of the Pay Equity Act with a curated selection of relevant tribunal and court caselaw for compensation specialists, unions, and legal professionals.
• The Q&A Guide to Ontario's Pay Equity Act A guide to understanding Ontario's Pay Equity Act written in a Q&A format organized according to the structure of the legislation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ontario's gender wage gap stands at 13% (hourly wages, 2022) - down from 19% in 1998
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2025PEO's Theory of Change for Achieving Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value was published and shared as a contribution to EPIC. The report was launched at the EPIC Technical Meeting where global leaders convene to learn from international best practices in policies and programs to close gender pay gaps.
• Skills OntariocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Young Women's Career Exploration Events and the Annual Young Women's Conference, bringing education, hands-on experience, and mentorship together to connect young women to successful career opportunities in skilled trades and technology sectors.
• Seneca CollegecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOntario's Pay Equity Office partnered with Seneca College to deliver educational series for employers on Pay Equity, including Pay Equity 101 sessions covering practical aspects of complying with Ontario's Pay Equity Act.
• Public Policy Forum, YMCA Canada, Lawson Foundation, and Women and Gender Equality CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated to release the report 'An Investment that Works for Child Care' outlining recommendations to support the professional child care workforce to meet the needs of the Canada-wide child care plan.
• Catalyst Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to raise awareness of Pay Equity, its history, and the future of women's work. Collaborative efforts to educate employers and advance workplace equity.
• Canadian Women's Chamber of Commerce (CanWCC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioner Ward joined CanWCC for a panel discussion on strategies for promoting equal pay, increasing access to capital, and how pay equity impacts women-identifying entrepreneurs.
• Canadian Human Rights CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioner Ward joined the Canadian Human Rights Commission to speak on Pay Equity and elevate the equity conversation at a national level.
• Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioner Ward spoke at EDCO on barriers facing working women and the importance of closing the gender wage gap.
• Brazil Canada Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioner Ward joined for a fireside chat discussing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, pay equity, and inclusive practices in the workplace.
• Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioner Ward led sessions on Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with Pay Equity at HRPA's Annual Meeting and Summer Conference, examining the strategic advantage of implementing a proactive stance on pay equity.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE): Federal agency advancing gender equality through policy and programming. It is a peer in mandate around closing gender gaps but operates federally and at a system/policy level rather than enforcing employer compliance.
• Canadian Human Rights Commission: Federal human rights body that overlaps with PEO on pay equity through federal jurisdiction employers and pay equity complaints. It is broader in scope (covers all human rights grounds) but shares investigation and education functions.

Others

• Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC): ILO-anchored coalition of governments, employers, and unions advancing equal pay worldwide. PEO shared its Theory of Change with EPIC and presented at the EPIC Technical Meeting, making it a key international peer network.
• Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA): Ontario regulator and association for HR professionals. HRPA co-hosts PEO sessions on pay equity compliance and shares the same employer audience, making it an adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor.
• Skills Ontario: Ontario nonprofit promoting skilled trades and technologies. Partnered with PEO on the Young Women's Career Exploration Events and Conference; it is an adjacent workforce-equity ecosystem participant rather than a regulator.

Direct peers

• Pay Equity Tribunal of Ontario: Sister body within the Ontario Pay Equity Commission that adjudicates appeals of PEO decisions. It is the closest peer, sharing statutory mandate and oversight of Ontario employers under the same Pay Equity Act.
• Commission de l'équité salariale du Québec: Quebec's counterpart pay equity commission with a parallel mandate to enforce the Pay Equity Act in Quebec. It is the most directly comparable peer in terms of statutory function and employer-facing compliance work.

Emerging players

• Catalyst: Global research and advisory nonprofit focused on workplace equity for women. It is a strategic partner of PEO and shares the same end-goal of pay equity, but operates as an advocacy/research body rather than a regulator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ontpayequity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ontario-pay-equity-office

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ontario Pay Equity Office