Even if the most recent draft bill for equal pay in the United States has hit a roadblock at federal level this has not hindered other States such as New York State (c.f. article No. 9082) and now the State of California from making headway on the issue. Heralded for months as the “Strongest Equal Pay Law in the Nation", the California Fair Pay Act forces employers to justify differences in gender pay levels using objective criteria that are directly connected with the work carried out.
Can California bring the rest of the nation with it? The Governor of California announced on the 95th anniversary of women suffrage that he would sign the equal pay bill into law. As well as obliging employers to justify gender pay differences on the basis of work related objective criteria the new legislation also facilitates legal proceedings for sex discrimination and prohibits employer retaliation should employees discuss co-workers’ wages.
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