Equal Pay for Equal Work … Seems Fair, Right?

On Wednesday, April 16, 2014, Senate Republicans blocked-for the third time-the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill proposing to close the pay gap between men and women. The goal of the bill-the attainment of equal pay for equal work-seems like a no-brainer, right? Women with the same job, and same qualifications, as men deserve to be paid the same. They should not discriminated against because of gender. It just seems obvious. However, not a single Republican Senator voted in favor of the Act. So right now the status quo continues, which yields women making about 77cents for every dollar men make.

Had it passed, the bill would have made it illegal for employers to retaliate against a worker who inquires about or discloses her or his wages or the wages of another employee in a complaint or investigation. And as part of this bill, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission would be required to collect pay information from employers.
What’s a girl to do??

Even though the Paycheck Fairness Act has stalled for now, there are still ways a woman who is underpaid for the same work a man is doing can prevail. The Equal Pay Act, enacted in 1963, provides a remedy for gender-based pay inequities. Also, women can bring a case for pay inequality as part of a gender discrimination
If you feel that you are being paid less for the same work as someone else due to your gender, call one of our Tennessee labor lawyers at The Higgins Firm.