![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.aclu.org\/files\/imagecache\/billboard_image\/blog_images\/pfa_senate.jpg\" "\\"Paycheck")
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The aim of the Paycheck Fairness Act is to eliminate the gender pay gap that exists between men and women in many companies and organizations today. \u00a0On average, women earn only 77 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earn. \u00a0The bill has already received approval by the House and is awaiting passage pending approval by the Senate.<\/p>\n
The proposed Paycheck Fairness Act contains certain enforcement provisions that will give it more power than the current standard which is the Equal Pay Act of 1963. \u00a0Some of the new changes include the following mechanisms:<\/p>\n
1) \u00a0The employer must be able to provide evidence that gender pay differences are based on other factors than a person’s sex.<\/p>\n
2) \u00a0Prohibits employers from taking retaliatory actions against employees inquiring about their company’s wage determining guidelines or divulging their individual pay to other employees.<\/p>\n
3) \u00a0Allowing comparisons of pay among employees within similarly defined geographical areas.<\/p>\n
4) \u00a0Increased penalties for companies found to be engaging in unequal pay.<\/p>\n
5) \u00a0Instructing the Department of Labor to obtain wage related data from companies.<\/p>\n
6) \u00a0Creating a means for additional training of Department of Labor agents to handle cases involving wage disparity.<\/p>\n
In addition to these changes, the new law would automatically cover all company employees on a class action basis for ongoing cases of pay discrimination. \u00a0This new law may finally begin to close the pay gap that exists between men and women by allowing the Department of Labor more latitude in their ability to fully investigate suspected abuses.<\/p>\n