The Obama administration is pushing for the passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act — a law that is designed to make wage differences between men and women in the workforce more transparent. The proposal comes approximately 50 years after President Kennedy passed the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to address the issue of wage disparity in the workforce.
Recent census data indicates that the wage gap continues to be a problem. The data show that women with full-time, year-round jobs are being paid approximately $11,500 less per year than men who hold full-time, year-round positions. The census also shows that the wage gap has remained largely unchanged since 2002, making the need for additional legislative intervention essential to narrow the divide.
The Paycheck Fairness Act is designed to eradicate uneven salaries in different ways. The legislation would require employers to disclose the differential in pay grades for men versus women employed in similar positions. The Department of Labor would have greater authority to gather the information that would prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to subsidize unlawful discrimination. Civil rights lawyers would have an additional avenue of recourse for pay grade discrimination and adverse employment action related to gender discrimination.
Wage discrimination cannot be allowed to go on unchecked. The wage bias is sometimes based on an employer’s preconceptions that:
- Women with families are less committed to the job than some men
- Women are more likely to have children and leave the workforce
- Resources invested in the training women for management roles may not be well spent
Such gender stereotypes cannot stand. If you are a victim of gender discrimination in the workplace, contact the GENDER DISCRIMINATION ATTORNEYS at the Derek Smith Law Group, PLLC for help with your case.
