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The Employer Handbook Blog
New GOP bill in Congress addresses equal pay for men and women
How about that!
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On Tuesday, Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) introduced The Gender Advancement in Pay (GAP) Act. I don’t know too much about the GAP Act, because I couldn’t find a copy of it online. Apparently, it would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act. According to an Ayotte press release, “the GAP Act makes clear that employers must pay men and women equal wages for equal work, without reducing the opportunity for employers to reward merit.”Senator Ayotte compares the GAP Act to an amendment she sought to add to the Paycheck Fairness Act last year. The Paycheck Fairness Act was never passed.
The press release notes that the GAP Act prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who discuss their pay information or potential employees who choose not to disclose their salary history. (The National Labor Relations Act already does that). Additionally, the GAP Act would protect those who file their equal pay claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (Title VII already covers this).
Indeed, an impediment to new equal pay laws is that many Republicans feel that enough laws exist on the federal, state, and local level to chill employers from discriminating against women at work.
I’ll post a link to the GAP Act when I find it, or when someone emails me a copy. In the meantime, don’t hold your breath on the GAP Act becoming law.