The House of Representatives passed the Paycheck Fairness Act on a vote of 242-187 on March 27, 2019. Despite the enactment of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, many women continue to earn significantly lower pay than men for equal work. These pay disparities exist in both the private and governmental sectors.
This Act states its purpose is to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes.
If the bill is signed into law, it would prohibit employers nationwide from asking job candidates how much they made at their previous job, prohibit companies from retaliating against workers who share wage information, and increase penalties for equal pay violations. Employers would be required to prove that pay disparities between men and women are job-related as well as report to the Department of Labor how much they are paying their employees.
The bill has been introduced 11 times. It has now passed the House for the second time; it is unclear whether the bill will survive a vote in the Senate.
For more information contact us.