It will soon be mandatory for employers in Ontario to disclose wages or salary ranges in job advertisements.

This proposal is part of new legislation aimed at increasing transparency for job seekers, with the new "Working for Workers" legislation set to be introduced when Members of Provincial Parliament return to Queen's Park in the week starting November 14.

For his part, Minister of Labour David Piccini told CTV News Toronto last week: "When workers' wages remain secret, there is only one beneficiary, which is the companies." "How many times do people apply for jobs only to find out at the end of the process that it is nowhere near the salary range they were looking for?"

Piccini said that details regarding wage range requirements will be established after a consultation period, although he acknowledges that if the range is too broad, there will still be a lack of transparency.

The minister also hinted that the government may start with salaries under $100,000 annually.

Ontario is not the only province imposing wage disclosure; earlier this year, British Columbia announced it would require employers to include wage or salary information in job advertisements. The legislation also prohibits employers from asking job seekers about their salary history.

A report issued by the International Labour Organization in 2022 found that wage transparency policies can help reveal wage disparities among demographic groups. As a result, several cities in the United States have asked employers to include salary ranges in job ads.

Ontario's legislation will also require companies to inform job seekers if artificial intelligence (AI) is used in the recruitment process, something Piccini says is an "increasing reality" in the workplace. AI is sometimes used by companies and recruitment agencies to screen candidates and analyze resumes or applications. According to Statistics Canada, seven percent of companies in Ontario as of February planned to adopt AI within the next year.

The minister said there are concerns about exacerbating inherent biases due to the technology, as well as privacy concerns. However, he also noted that studies have shown AI can help address issues such as pay equity in the hiring process.

This would make Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada to require disclosure of AI use in recruitment.