Equal Pay

The federal Equal Pay Act prohibits sex-based differentials in employee compensation between men and women who work in the same establishment and perform the same job or jobs requiring “equal skill, effort, and responsibility” under “similar working conditions.” Pay equity proponents have criticized the Act as too narrow in scope and too employer-friendly, but to this point have not been able to convince congress to change the law. In the meantime, a number of states have enacted laws designed to strengthen equal pay protections. CWC’s State Equal Pay Chart helps members quickly see which states have enacted equal pay laws and provides summaries of each law’s specific requirements.

Download State Standard