Gender pay gaps at several major Canadian firms grew larger in 2018, according to disclosure data out of Britain.
Median hourly earnings for women, as a percentage of men’s pay, declined at the British operations of such companies as SNC-Lavalin Inc. and Toronto-Dominion Bank. For most firms, the 2018 pay gaps were largely similar to the year before.
The British data is significant because it provides a rare glimpse into pay equity at major Canadian companies, including giants of banking, engineering and technology. Canada does not have an equivalent disclosure system as Britain does.
This is the second consecutive year that large organizations in Britain have been required to disclose gender pay-equity figures. Under the rule, private-sector firms with 250 or more employees in Britain must calculate and publish several metrics, including hourly and bonus pay gaps, and the distribution of men and women at wage quartiles. The deadline to provide data was Thursday, and figures reflect pay as of one year ago.
The data are not perfect. The filings do not reflect whether men and women are receiving equal pay for equal work. Further, a Canadian company’s British work force may differ greatly from that of back home.
Regardless, the results generally show that as wages increase, fewer women work in those well-paid positions.
One standout company is Lululemon Athletica Inc. Both years, the retailer has paid women slightly more than men, as measured by median hourly pay. (The median is the middle number in a sorted list.) But that doesn’t reflect the full story. When measured by average hourly pay, women lag men by a substantial margin.
The following graphic shows the median hourly pay for women at select Canadian companies, expressed as a percentage of men’s pay. Figures below 100 per cent indicate the typical female employee is paid less than the typical male. Where the lines slope upward, the pay gap narrowed in 2018 from the year prior.
As you’ll see, pay equity is a decidedly rare thing.
Gender pay gap
Median hourly pay for women as a percentage
of men’s pay.
Atkins
(owned by SNC-Lavalin)
120%
100
80
80%
80%
60
40
2017
2018
Bank of Nova Scotia
120%
100
80
65%
63%
60
40
2017
2018
BlackBerry UK
120%
100
84.2%
80
70.8%
60
40
2017
2018
BlueBay Asset Management
(owned by RBC)
120%
100
91.2%
84.6%
80
60
40
2017
2018
Bombardier Transportation
(Rolling Stock) UK
120%
100
91.6%
91.5%
80
60
40
2017
2018
BMO Asset Management*
120%
100
80
67.6%
66%
60
40
2017
2018
Bombardier Transportation UK
120%
100
97.9%
93%
80
60
40
2017
2018
CGI IT UK
120%
100
85.8%
83%
80
60
40
2017
2018
Colliers International
Property Consultants
120%
100
80
60
59%
56.1%
40
2017
2018
Lululemon Athletica UK
120%
103.2%
101.1%
100
80
60
40
2017
2018
Open Text UK
120%
100
80
75.7%
72.2%
60
40
2017
2018
RBC Europe
120%
100
80
60
45%
43%
40
2017
2018
RBC Investor Services Trust
120%
100
80
73%
72%
60
40
2017
2018
Royal Bank of Canada
120%
100
80
71%
70%
60
40
2017
2018
SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit
120%
100
80
60%
60
58%
40
2017
2018
Toronto-Dominion Bank
120%
100
80
60
52.1%
50.1%
40
2017
2018
WSP Management Services
120%
100
80
68.7%
65.8%
60
40
2017
2018
WSP UK
120%
100
80
77.2%
72.9%
60
40
2017
2018
*Renamed from F&C Asset Management the previous
year.
Note: Company names as they appear in the U.K. filings.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: GOV.UK
Gender pay gap
Median hourly pay for women as a percentage
of men’s pay.
Atkins
(owned by SNC-Lavalin)
120%
100
80
80%
80%
60
40
2017
2018
Bank of Nova Scotia
120%
100
80
65%
63%
60
40
2017
2018
BlackBerry UK
120%
100
84.2%
80
70.8%
60
40
2017
2018
BlueBay Asset Management
(owned by RBC)
120%
100
91.2%
84.6%
80
60
40
2017
2018
Bombardier Transportation
(Rolling Stock) UK
120%
100
91.6%
91.5%
80
60
40
2017
2018
BMO Asset Management*
120%
100
80
67.6%
66%
60
40
2017
2018
Bombardier Transportation UK
120%
100
97.9%
93%
80
60
40
2017
2018
CGI IT UK
120%
100
85.8%
83%
80
60
40
2017
2018
Colliers International
Property Consultants
120%
100
80
60
59%
56.1%
40
2017
2018
Lululemon Athletica UK
120%
103.2%
101.1%
100
80
60
40
2017
2018
Open Text UK
120%
100
80
75.7%
72.2%
60
40
2017
2018
RBC Europe
120%
100
80
60
45%
43%
40
2017
2018
RBC Investor Services Trust
120%
100
80
73%
72%
60
40
2017
2018
Royal Bank of Canada
120%
100
80
71%
70%
60
40
2017
2018
SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit
120%
100
80
60%
60
58%
40
2017
2018
Toronto-Dominion Bank
120%
100
80
60
52.1%
50.1%
40
2017
2018
WSP Management Services
120%
100
80
68.7%
65.8%
60
40
2017
2018
WSP UK
120%
100
80
77.2%
72.9%
60
40
2017
2018
*Renamed from F&C Asset Management the previous year.
Note: Company names as they appear in the U.K. filings.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: GOV.UK
Gender pay gap
Median hourly pay for women as a percentage of men’s pay
Atkins Ltd.
(owned by SNC-Lavalin)
Bank of Nova Scotia
BlackBerry UK
120%
100
84.2%
80
80%
80%
70.8%
65%
63%
60
40
2017
2018
2017
2018
2017
2018
BlueBay Asset Management
(owned by RBC)
Bombardier Transportation
(Rolling Stock) UK
BMO Asset Management*
120%
100
91.6%
91.5%
91.2%
84.6%
80
67.6%
66%
60
40
2017
2018
2017
2018
2017
2018
Colliers International
Property Consultants
Bombardier Transportation UK
CGI IT UK
120%
100
97.9%
93%
85.8%
83%
80
60
59%
56.1%
40
2017
2018
2017
2018
2017
2018
Open Text UK
RBC Europe
Lululemon Athletica UK
120%
103.2%
101.1%
100
80
75.7%
72.2%
60
45%
43%
40
2017
2018
2017
2018
2017
2018
RBC Investor Services Trust
Royal Bank of Canada
SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit
120%
100
80
73%
72%
71%
70%
60%
60
58%
40
2017
2018
2017
2018
2017
2018
Toronto-Dominion Bank
WSP Management Services
WSP UK
120%
100
80
77.2%
72.9%
68.7%
65.8%
60
52.1%
50.1%
40
2017
2018
2017
2018
2017
2018
*Renamed from F&C Asset Management the previous year.
Note: Company names as they appear in the U.K. filings.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: GOV.UK
Next up is the distribution of women, by pay quartile. For each company, wages are ordered and then split into four groups of equivalent size. The first quartile includes the lowest wages, proceeding to the fourth quartile, which has the largest.
Again, Lululemon is a standout. It’s the only company in this group where women account for the majority of employees in the highest pay bracket.
Female representation by pay quartile
Percentage of employees by pay quartile who
are women. The first quartile is lowest-paid,
while the fourth quartile is highest-paid.
Atkins
(owned by SNC-Lavalin)
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Bank of Nova Scotia
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
BlackBerry UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
BlueBay Asset Management
(owned by RBC)
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
BMO Asset Management*
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Bombardier Transportation
(Rolling Stock) UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Bombardier Transportation UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
CGI IT UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Colliers International
Property Consultants
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Lululemon Athletica UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Open Text UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
RBC Europe
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
RBC Investor Services Trust
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Royal Bank of Canada
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Toronto-Dominion Bank
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
WSP Management Services
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
WSP UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
*Renamed from F&C Asset Management the previous
year.
Note: Company names as they appear in the U.K. filings.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: GOV.UK
Female representation by pay quartile
Percentage of employees by pay quartile who
are women. The first quartile is lowest-paid,
while the fourth quartile is highest-paid.
Atkins
(owned by SNC-Lavalin)
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Bank of Nova Scotia
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
BlackBerry UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
BlueBay Asset Management
(owned by RBC)
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
BMO Asset Management*
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Bombardier Transportation
(Rolling Stock) UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Bombardier Transportation UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
CGI IT UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Colliers International
Property Consultants
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Lululemon Athletica UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Open Text UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
RBC Europe
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
RBC Investor Services Trust
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Royal Bank of Canada
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Toronto-Dominion Bank
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
WSP Management Services
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
WSP UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
*Renamed from F&C Asset Management the previous year.
Note: Company names as they appear in the U.K. filings.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: GOV.UK
Female representation by pay quartile
Percentage of employees by pay quartile who are women.
The first quartile is lowest-paid, while the fourth quartile is highest-paid.
Atkins
(owned by SNC-Lavalin)
Bank of Nova Scotia
BlackBerry UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Bombardier Transportation
(Rolling Stock) UK
BlueBay Asset Management
(owned by RBC)
BMO Asset Management*
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Colliers International
Property Consultants
Bombardier Transportation UK
CGI IT UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Lululemon Athletica UK
Open Text UK
RBC Europe
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
RBC Investor Services Trust
Royal Bank of Canada
SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Toronto-Dominion Bank
WSP Management Services
WSP UK
100%
75
50
25
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
*Renamed from F&C Asset Management the previous year.
Note: Company names as they appear in the U.K. filings.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: GOV.UK