Disparities in Physician Compensation by Gender in Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Key Points Question Do male and female physicians in Ontario, Canada, receive equal payments for equal work? Findings In this cross-sectional study including 31 481 physicians (nearly all physicians in Ontario), women earned 32.8% less than men annually and 22.5% less daily. After controlling for observable factors associated with earnings, such as practice characteristics, geography (degree of rurality), and specialty, the daily pay gap remained significant, at 13.5%. Meaning This cross-sectional study describes a complex set of factors associated with payment disparities affecting female physicians, considering both daily and annual payment gaps and the variations by specialty, rurality, and practice settings.

Representation of women in editorial boards of infectious disease and microbiology journals—cross-sectional study

“…J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f physicians earn 43.5% less annually than their men counterparts [14].…”

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon self-reported physician burnout in Ontario, Canada: evidence from a repeated cross-sectional survey

“…Such areas could include moving compensation structures away from piece-work models (eg, FFS), as the literature theorises that such models incentivise higher workloads, 20 as well as addressing the gender pay gap, which has been documented among Ontario physicians. 21 Research exploring the relationship between the gender pay gap and burnout among physicians is lacking, but a 2016 study of 22 581 US adults found that women were significantly more likely to experience depression and anxiety when they were paid less than their equally qualified male counterparts, including among the subset of high-income women. 22 Interventions to increase work-life balance include organisational policy changes to normalise flexible work arrangements such as part-time work or job sharing (ie, two part-time physicians sharing a full-time position), 23 24 as well as exploring innovative strategies such as a time banking programme, where credits are given to participants for time spent on unpaid or under-recognised responsibilities-such as providing last minute clinical coverage or mentoring-and can be redeemed for home or work support services, including meal delivery or grant writing.…”

“…Research specifically evaluating the impacts of various compensation policy changes on burnout is needed. Such areas could include moving compensation structures away from piece-work models (eg, FFS), as the literature theorises that such models incentivise higher workloads,20 as well as addressing the gender pay gap, which has been documented among Ontario physicians 21. Research exploring the relationship between the gender pay gap and burnout among physicians is lacking, but a 2016 study of 22 581 US adults found that women were significantly more likely to experience depression and anxiety when they were paid less than their equally qualified male counterparts, including among the subset of high-income women 22…”

The impact of virtual negotiation training for female faculty

“…While these data reflect the state of affairs in the United States, this is not a uniquely American problem. Indeed, such a disparity has been seen across the globe [ 7 , 8 ].…”