This thesis is a case study of the implementation of Ontario's 1987 pay equity legislation. Ontario's pay equity legislation was very progressive and was aimed at eliminating the portion of the wage gap between men and women caused by discrimination. The legislation mandated both public and private sector employers with more than 10 employees to create pay equity plans to eliminate the discriminatory portion of the wage gap. The legislation has met with some success. However, measuring the progress of eliminating wage discrimination is difficult because the Ontario government was unwilling to impose a coercive implementation regime. Consequently, the government has little information to measure either employer compliance or the results of employer pay equity plans. Employers have few incentives to comply with the legislation and the implementing agency has insufficient financial resources to monitor compliance. Clearly this implementation regime was a delicate political balancing of the interests of business and labour and women.

This thesis is a case study of the implementation of Ontario's 1987 pay equity legislation. Ontario's pay equity legislation was very progressive and was aimed at eliminating the portion of the wage gap between men and women caused by discrimination. The legislation mandated both public and private sector employers with more than 10 employees to create pay equity plans to eliminate the discriminatory portion of the wage gap. The legislation has met with some success. However, measuring the progress of eliminating wage discrimination is difficult because the Ontario government was unwilling to impose a coercive implementation regime. Consequently, the government has little information to measure either employer compliance or the results of employer pay equity plans. Employers have few incentives to comply with the legislation and the implementing agency has insufficient financial resources to monitor compliance. Clearly this implementation regime was a delicate political balancing of the interests of business and labour and women. / Arts, Faculty of / Political Science, Department of / Graduate