SDG 8: Western in Action for Decent Work and Economic Growth

At Western University, we are committed to supporting decent work and economic growth in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 100% of our employees receive remuneration equivalent to at least a living wage. We publicly share employment data using Statistics Canada. Below, you will find an overview of how our policies ensure fair treatment for all employees, with a focus on pay scale equity, measuring the gender pay gap, and protecting employee rights.

For more details, please explore our  full set of policies and agreements.

Unions and Labour Rights

Western respects and upholds the Canadian and provincial legislations related to unions and labour rights.

Western’s workforce includes many employee groups. All employees may participate in these groups and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status, or disability. Some of our employee groups are represented by unions and subject to collective agreements:

In Canada, labour rights, including freedom of association and collective bargaining, are protected under several legal frameworks which Western supports and upholds.

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:Protects the fundamental right of all workers to join unions and engage in collective bargaining.
Ontario Human Rights Code: Guarantees equal treatment in employment and membership in trade unions without discrimination based on sex, gender identity, or gender expression. International staff, post-doctoral fellows, and migrant academics have the exact same right to union representation and collective bargaining as Canadian citizens.
Ontario Labour Relations Act:Prohibits employers from interfering with the formation or administration of a union or from discriminating against employees for union activities. It also affirms the right to strike and lockout.
Ontario Labour Relations Board: Functions as the independent, neutral tribunal responsible for administering provincial labour laws. It mediates and adjudicates workplace disputes, resolves unfair labour practice complaints, and handles the official certification of university bargaining units.

Rights of Workers

Western University upholds the rights of workers when outsourcing activities to third parties through its practice of Sustainable Procurement. The offices of Procurement Services and Sustainability have developed Guidelines for Sustainable Procurement that consider worker safety. Our Sustainable Procurement Strategy 2023-2025 focuses on governance to reduce the risk of child labour, human trafficking, and labour exploitation. As a Fair-Trade certified campus, Western demonstrates its commitment to the fair and ethical treatment of workers. We are dedicated to sourcing in an ethical, legally compliant, and socially responsible manner, expecting our suppliers to adhere to the standards outlined in our Supplier Code of Conduct.

Pay Scale Equity

Western University is committed to fair and equitable pay for all employees. We have several policies and practices in place to ensure that employees, regardless of background, receive equal compensation for their work. 

Our efforts include:

Employment Equity Committee: This committee, outlined in our  MAPP 3.2 policy, oversees equitable pay practices, working closely with our Human Resources and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) offices. 
Collective Agreements: Our collective agreements include provisions that support fair pay and regular reviews, ensuring all employees are compensated fairly (e.g. UWOSA  and  UWOFA).
Ontario Pay Equity Act Compliance: We adhere to the Ontario Pay Equity Act, which requires employers to take a proactive approach to correct gender-based wage gaps within their organization through tracking of job compensation rates by job class and gender predominance.
Published Salary Ranges: Compensation ranges for all staff classifications are posted for current employees and job applicants and are applicable regardless of citizenship, race, place of origin, ethnic origin, colour, ancestry, disability, age, creed, sex/pregnancy, family status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, receipt of public assistance (in housing), and record of offences (in employment) (e.g., PMA  and  UWOSA).

Tracking Gender Pay Equity

We believe in transparency and regularly monitor gender pay equity to ensure fairness across our institution. 

Our efforts include: 

Pay Equity Audits: Our Human Resources department conducts regular audits to monitor pay equity across different genders and job categories. 
Career Trajectory Adjustments: Applicable for all faculty, librarians, and archivists; salaries are reviewed approximately every 4 years to ensure pay is based on professional achievements and career progression, removing bias that may be gender based.
Public Reporting: In compliance with our public sector mandate, we disclose the number and salaries of full-time teaching staff to Statistics Canada. We disclose the names, positions, salaries, and total taxable benefits of employees earning $100,000 or more annually, which is published by the Ontario government. We update the hiring range and salary plans annually. 
Pay Equity Maintenance: We monitor the gender predominance of job classes, job compensation rates, and evaluation of female-dominated job classes relative to male-dominated job classes, in compliance with the Ontario Pay Equity Act. 
Engagement with Pay Equity Commission: We collaborate with the  Ontario Pay Equity Commission as required to resolve any pay equity disputes.

Employee Rights and Appeals

We are committed to providing employees with clear and accessible processes to appeal decisions regarding their rights and pay. 

Our efforts include: 

Grievance Procedures: Our collective agreements include detailed grievance procedures (e.g., UWOSA Collective Agreement – Article 8: Grievance Procedure and UWOFA Collective Agreement (Grievance and Arbitration), empowering employees to voice concerns and seek resolution. 
Appeal of job classifications: Our collective agreement (e.g., UWOSA, Article 44) includes a detailed process for review of support staff position classifications, including an appeal process engaging an unbiased but experienced external party to provide final classification decisions. 
Complaint Resolution: We follow protocols from the Ontario Labour Relations Board to handle complaints about pay or employment conditions fairly and promptly. 
Non-Discrimination and Harassment Policy: Employees are supported through a detailed process should they identify any employment practice or action against them that they feel is discriminatory. 
Human Rights and EDI Reporting: Employees can report concerns about discrimination or harassment through our Human Rights Reporting and  EDI reporting mechanisms.

Ending Workplace Discrimination

Western University has comprehensive, institution-wide policies that address both anti-discrimination and anti-harassment, ensuring a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all members of the university community.

These policies apply across all areas of the university’s operations, including academic programs, employment practices, student services, and campus life. They apply regardless of prohibited grounds of discrimination in Ontario: race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, record of offences, marital status, family status, gender identity, or gender expression. This includes a clear commitment to protect women, transgender people, and all gender expressions, and to create safe workplaces.

EDI Policy: We recognize that equity-seeking groups include but are not limited to women, members of racialized groups (visible minorities), Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ2S+ individuals.
Non-Discrimination/Harassment/Sexual Misconduct Policy: Discrimination, Harassment or Sexual Misconduct toward individuals, whether as members of any recognizable group or otherwise, violate the fundamental rights, personal dignity and integrity of individuals or groups of individuals and will not be tolerated.
- Procedures for reports of Discrimination or Harassment: All members of the University community share responsibility for ensuring and promoting a safe and respectful working and learning environment that is free from Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct.
- Memo Updates: The Human Rights Office published official compliance updates to its institutional non-discrimination policy, reinforcing protection frameworks, safe reporting procedures, and strict prohibitions against retaliation.
Policy on Gender-Based and Sexual Violence (GBSV): The university is committed to providing and maintaining an environment in which GBSV is not tolerated. GBSV is defined as: Any sexual act or act targeting a person’s sexuality, gender identity and gender expression, whether the act is physical or psychological in nature, that is committed, threatened or attempted against a person without the person’s consent, and includes sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, indecent exposure, voyeurism, cyber harassment and sexual exploitation.
- Procedures for reports of GBSV: These procedures keep disclosures confidential and prioritize the well-being of the victim.
Safe Campus Community Policy: Every member of the university community has the right to study, work, and conduct his or her activities in an environment free of violence.
Violence Prevention Initiative: Western is pioneering a new approach to gender-based and sexual violence prevention training by mandating training for all staff (Western Safe Campus Community) and incoming students (Mustangs for Consent). The goal is to promote education, prevent gender-based and sexual violence, and to build a proactive and safe campus culture.
Western University Code of Student Conduct: Students are responsible for observing a standard of conduct that will contribute to the university’s mission, including respecting the rights, property, and well-being of other members of the university community and visitors to the campus.

These policies are supported by formal procedures for reporting, investigation, and resolution, ensuring accountability and protection for all. Western University continuously reviews and strengthens its policies to uphold a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all. Western has a dedicated Human Rights Office, which supports reporting any incidents of discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct.

Commitment Against Forced Labour

Western has a policy commitment against forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labour.

Federal Legislative Compliance: Western actively complies with the federal Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and aligns operations with the Criminal Code of Canada to combat modern slavery.
Provincial Labor Protections: University operations adhere strictly to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, and the Combating Human Trafficking Act to guarantee safe working conditions and age-appropriate labor boundaries.
Supplier Code Enforcement: The university mandates that all external vendors and subcontractors follow Western’s Supplier Code of Conduct Policy, which strictly prohibits forced, compulsory, or child labor across all tiers of production.
- Dignity and Fair Labor Standards: Third-party supply chain agreements require contracted vendors to treat all workers with dignity, respect, and to actively maintain fair, legally compliant working environments.
Global Supply Chain Advocacy: Through the Network for Business Sustainability hosted at the Ivey Business School, Western publishes open-access research to raise global corporate awareness regarding the hidden complexities of modern slavery.

Ivey’s Network for Business Sustainability explains how modern slavery is more widespread than most people realize.