A new survey from ADP Canada and Leger shows that pay equality remains a persistent challenge for Canadian organizations. The survey also reveals that the ongoing pandemic dissimilarly impacts men and women, particularly working mothers, in terms of career growth, stress levels, and potential to seek new employment.
Limited options for school and childcare placed a strain on all working parents; however, data from the survey shows working mothers were more heavily impacted. Half of working mothers (50%) reported experiencing disproportionately high stress levels due to balancing childcare obligations and work throughout the pandemic, compared to 40 per cent of their male counterparts. Working women also reported a more significant impact when it comes to mental health, with 45 per cent indicating that working during the pandemic has had a negative impact on their mental health, compared to 37 per cent of men.
Self-reported results from the survey show that women continue to earn 23 per cent less in total income (pre-tax salary and other compensation) than men. Women’s pre-tax salaries remain 21 per cent lower than men’s, while additional variable compensation, such as bonuses, profit-sharing or equity agreements, are where disparity surges, with Canadian working women earning 43 per cent less in additional compensation compared to men in 2020. While these results demonstrate a small improvement over survey results collected in 2020, when women reported earning 24 per cent less in salary and 57 per cent less in additional compensation in 2019, employers still have work to do to ensure fair compensation for all employees.
With persistent gaps in pay for men and women, it is no surprise that working women were less likely to report that they believe that gender parity is a priority for their organization (69% vs 78% of men). The survey results also revealed that younger workers (18-34) are more engaged than other age groups when it comes to issues of pay equity and equality in Canada, and most willing to leave an organization that doesn’t support fair pay practices. Half (50%) of respondents aged 18-34 said they would leave their organization if they found out that a colleague of equal standing but different gender received higher compensation, compared to only 37 per cent for both the other age cohorts.
