Women researching employers in Canada compare the same few things: whether a posting shows a pay range, how much of a parental leave the company tops up, and whether there are women in senior roles. The organizations that rank well on public diversity lists are not doing anything secret. Their policies are written down, and HR teams can benchmark against them and close the gaps.
This guide is for HR managers, recruiters, talent acquisition leads and founders. It covers where Canada's top-rated employers for women get named, which provincial pay rules now apply to your postings, what competitive leave top-ups look like, and where to post when you hire.
Quick takeaways
- Benchmark against named lists: Mediacorp's Canada's Best Diversity Employers and The Globe and Mail's Women Lead Here both publish the employers they recognize and explain why.
- Pay ranges in postings are now required in British Columbia (since November 1, 2023) and in Ontario for employers with 25 or more employees (since January 1, 2026). Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have passed their own rules.
- EI pays 55 percent of average insurable earnings during maternity and standard parental leave, up to a weekly maximum. Employer top-ups through a registered Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) plan are what set leading employers apart.
- The federal 50/30 Challenge asks organizations to aim for gender parity on boards and in senior management, and gives your commitment a public, checkable form.
- Industry associations such as WinSETT Centre, Women in Mining Canada and Women in Capital Markets are sourcing channels as well as networks.
Where the best companies for women in Canada get named
If you want your company to show up on these lists, start by studying the employers already on them and the criteria behind each one.
Canada's Best Diversity Employers
Mediacorp Canada, the publisher behind Canada's Top 100 Employers, runs an annual Canada's Best Diversity Employers competition. Each winner gets a published write-up that names specific programs, such as employee resource groups, leave policies and leadership development. Before your next policy review, read the write-ups for winners in your own sector. They show which practices the judges count, and you can apply in a later cycle.
Women Lead Here
The Globe and Mail's Report on Business publishes Women Lead Here every year. It ranks large Canadian companies on how many women hold senior executive roles. The list measures outcomes rather than policy statements, so it is the most direct benchmark for leadership representation. If you are a smaller company that does not qualify, use the methodology to measure your own executive bench.
Federally regulated employers set a visible bar
Banks such as RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO and CIBC, along with federally regulated carriers such as CN, fall under the federal Employment Equity Act and Pay Equity Act. Their representation data is collected by the federal Labour Program, and many of them publish diversity reports of their own. CN, led by Tracy Robinson since 2022, is an example of a federally regulated employer with a woman as chief executive. If you compete with these companies for talent, their reports show what candidates have already seen.
Programs worth studying by name
Some employers build their reputation by also serving women as clients. The Scotiabank Women Initiative, launched in 2018, supports women-led businesses with capital and advisory services. Programs like this shape how candidates view an employer. You do not need to copy them, but they show that a reputation is built from specific, named programs, not general statements.
The 50/30 Challenge Canada: a public commitment you can point to
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada launched the 50/30 Challenge in December 2020.
What it asks
Participants aim for gender parity (50 percent women and/or non-binary people) on boards and in senior management, plus significant representation (30 percent) of other under-represented groups. These include racialized people, people living with disabilities, 2SLGBTQI+ people, and First Nations, Inuit and Metis Peoples. Participation is voluntary, and participants report their progress.
Who signs on
Corporations, non-profits, charities and post-secondary institutions of every size have joined. Smaller employers can take part, and ecosystem partner organizations offer templates and peer support. Check the program's official Government of Canada pages for the current reporting requirements.
How it changes your hiring
The targets sit at the top of the organization, but you reach them through hiring and promotion lower down. If your company signs on, check your manager-level promotion rates by gender first. That is where most pipelines thin out. Mention the commitment in your job postings and on your careers page so candidates can see it.
Pay transparency: what your postings must include, by jurisdiction
This is a summary, not legal advice. Confirm your obligations with employment counsel before your next hiring cycle.
British Columbia
Under BC's Pay Transparency Act, since November 1, 2023 employers must include the expected pay or pay range in publicly advertised job postings. They may not ask applicants about their pay history. The Act also brings in annual pay transparency reports. Reporting phased in by size: employers with 1,000 or more employees first, then 300 or more, then 50 or more by November 1, 2026.
Ontario
Amendments to Ontario's Employment Standards Act took effect on January 1, 2026. Employers with 25 or more employees must include expected compensation or a range in publicly advertised postings. A range generally cannot be wider than $50,000, and the rule does not apply to roles paying above $200,000. Postings must also say whether the vacancy exists and whether AI is used to screen applicants, and cannot require Canadian experience. Employers must tell interviewed candidates the outcome within 45 days.
Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador
Both provinces have passed pay transparency measures that include pay information in job postings. Effective dates and employer-size thresholds differ, so check the current provincial guidance if you hire in either province.
Federally regulated employers
The federal Pay Equity Act applies to federally regulated employers with 10 or more employees and requires a proactive pay equity plan. Employers covered by the Employment Equity Act also report wage data, which the Labour Program uses to publish pay gap information. Quebec and Ontario have their own provincial pay equity statutes as well.
To set ranges you can defend, use the wage data on Job Bank, which publishes low, median and high wages by occupation code and region, and compare it against your internal pay bands.
Leave and top-up benchmarks
Candidates ask about leave in interviews more and more often, and it is one of the clearest differences between employers.
The public baseline
EI maternity benefits run for up to 15 weeks at 55 percent of average weekly insurable earnings, up to a weekly maximum that is reset each year. Standard parental benefits run for up to 40 weeks shared between parents (no more than 35 for one parent) at 55 percent. Extended parental benefits run for up to 69 weeks shared (no more than 61 for one parent) at 33 percent.
Job-protected leave
Employment standards set how long the job is protected, separately from EI. In Ontario, pregnancy leave is up to 17 weeks and parental leave up to 61 or 63 weeks, depending on whether pregnancy leave was taken. The Canada Labour Code provides similar periods for federally regulated employees. Check your province before you write your policy.
What a competitive top-up looks like
Most employers top up EI through a SUB plan registered with Service Canada, so the payments do not reduce the employee's EI benefits. Combined EI and top-up cannot exceed 100 percent of normal weekly earnings. For reference, many federal public service collective agreements top up to 93 percent of the weekly rate of pay. When you design your plan, decide on the percentage, the number of weeks, and whether a return-to-work commitment applies. Then publish all three in your postings.
Sourcing channels: where to post and who to partner with
Good policies only help if the candidates you want can see them. A sourcing plan that names its channels will outperform posting to one large generalist board.
Industry associations
Partner with associations where women in your field already gather:
- WinSETT Centre: leadership training for women in science, engineering, trades and technology.
- Women in Mining Canada: a national network for the mining sector.
- Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC): trades and construction management.
- Women in Capital Markets: finance and investment roles.
- Women in Communications and Technology (WCT): telecom and tech.
- Engineers Canada 30 by 30: aims for women to make up 30 percent of newly licensed engineers by 2030, with participating employers and regulators.
Event sponsorship, mentoring volunteers and shared job postings all build relationships with candidates before you have an opening.
Women-focused job boards
WomenAtWork.ca is a Canadian job board for employers that want to reach women looking for work or for their next career step. Postings go to a focused audience instead of competing with thousands of unrelated listings. Pricing and posting options are on the WomenAtWork.ca employers page.
Co-op and campus pipelines
Co-op programs at universities such as Waterloo, along with college applied-program partnerships, give you early access to graduates in fields where women are under-represented. If your company has joined the 50/30 Challenge, early-career hiring is where that pipeline starts.
Referrals, reviewed for diversity
Referrals tend to mirror the makeup of your current team. Track the gender mix of referred candidates separately, and ask your employee resource groups to share roles in their own networks.
Measuring whether it is working
Leadership will ask what these programs return. A few measures tracked every quarter will answer that.
Funnel conversion by stage
Track the share of women at each stage: applied, screened, interviewed, offered and accepted. If women apply but drop out after the first interview, review the composition of your interview panels and your scoring rubrics.
Retention and return from leave
Compare return-from-leave rates, voluntary turnover in the first year after return, and promotion rates by gender. These numbers make the cost case for a leave top-up, because they connect the program directly to what you would otherwise spend on replacement hiring.
Posting performance after a change
When you add a pay range or rewrite a requirements list, compare application volume and quality for the same role before and after. In BC and in Ontario at 25 or more employees, you have to post ranges anyway, so use the change to measure the effect.
FAQ
How do companies get named among the best employers for women in Canada?
Most recognition comes from structured competitions such as Mediacorp's Canada's Best Diversity Employers, or from outcome rankings such as The Globe and Mail's Women Lead Here. Both are based on documented programs or measured representation, so the first step is putting your policies and data in writing.
What is the 50/30 Challenge Canada?
It is a voluntary federal initiative launched in December 2020. Organizations aim for gender parity on boards and in senior management and 30 percent representation of other under-represented groups, and they report on progress.
Which provinces require salary ranges in job postings?
British Columbia has required them since November 1, 2023, and Ontario has required them since January 1, 2026 for employers with 25 or more employees. Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have passed their own rules. Confirm current details with counsel.
How much do employers typically top up parental leave?
It varies widely. EI pays 55 percent for maternity and standard parental benefits, up to a cap. Top-ups through a registered SUB plan can bring pay closer to full salary for a set number of weeks. Many federal public service agreements top up to 93 percent.
Do small businesses need to follow pay transparency rules?
It depends on the province and your headcount. BC's posting rules apply to all employers, while Ontario's apply at 25 or more employees. Check the thresholds in each province where you hire.
Where should we post roles to reach more women candidates?
Use generalist boards together with industry associations, co-op programs, reviewed referrals, and a women-focused Canadian board such as WomenAtWork.ca.
Next step for your team
Pick one gap to close this quarter. That could be publishing pay ranges, registering a SUB plan, or adding a women-focused sourcing channel. Measure the result before you take on the next one. Looking to hire? Visit the WomenAtWork.ca employers page to see pricing, post a role, and reach qualified candidates from our network.