Paycheck Fairness Act: Stronger protections and remedies against gender pay discrimination.
This Act strengthens protections against gender-based pay discrimination by providing more effective remedies for victims and increasing employer accountability. Citizens gain the right to openly discuss wages without fear of retaliation and benefit from greater transparency in compensation setting. Employers are prohibited from relying on a prospective employee's salary history, aiming to break the cycle of historically lower pay.
Key points
Increased Penalties and Damages: Employers violating equal pay rules face higher liability, including compensatory and punitive damages, increasing the financial risk of discrimination.
Wage Discussion Protection: Employees are protected from retaliation for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing their own or other employees' wages.
Ban on Salary History Inquiry: Employers cannot ask job candidates about their past salary history or rely on it to determine new pay, unless the candidate voluntarily provides it to negotiate a higher wage.
Easier Class Actions: The Act allows for class action lawsuits to be maintained to enforce equal pay requirements based on sex discrimination.
Stricter Defense Requirements: Employers must prove that any pay difference is due to a genuine, job-related factor (like education or experience) that is consistent with business necessity and not based on sex.
Expired
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