Photo of the attorneys of Costello, Mains and Silverman, LLC

Advocates for NJ and PA
Workers & Their Families

Partners and Counsel of Costello, Mains & Silverman, LLC
  1. Home
  2.  » 
  3. Workplace Discrimination
  4.  » Explaining the Equal Pay Act

Explaining the Equal Pay Act

On Behalf of | Jun 19, 2019 | Workplace Discrimination |

The Equal Pay Act is an important piece of legislation that helps protect the pay that employees receive. It states that women are to be paid the same as men if they work in similar jobs in the same company. The jobs do not have to be the same, but they must be at least substantially equal in order for the pay to be equal. It is the content of the job, not the title, that determines this.

The Equal Pay Act states that employers cannot pay women different wages than men if there are similarities in their skills, efforts and responsibilities. The same goes for the working conditions in which they work and if they work in the same establishment.

Skill is defined as education, ability and training required to perform the job. The issue at hand here when it comes to skills is the skills required for the job, not what skills the employee or candidate has.

Effort is defined as the level of mental or physical exertion the job requires to perform it successfully.

Responsibility is defined as the amount of accountability that comes with holding the job in question.

Working conditions include whether or not the employee is working near fumes, different temperatures, if the place of employment is well ventilated and if any other hazards are present.

Establishment is defined as the physical place of a business. The Equal Pay Act only prevents compensation discrimination for similar jobs that are in the same establishment, not a job at one company and a job at another company.

If you believe that you are being paid an unfair wage for performing the same job duties as the males in your company, it is important that you protect your rights under the Equal Pay Act. Do not let your employer take advantage of you or the situation any longer.