Gibbons Law Firm: Wage Discrimination: What It Is, How To Identify It, & What To Do

Employers are legally responsible for treating their employees fairly and ethically. We have talked before about the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and its mandates against making employment decisions based on race, sex, age, sexual orientation, and other discriminating factors. This week, our employment attorney at the Lake of the Ozarks is going to look specifically at another way employers are prohibited from discriminating against their employees.

Wage Discrimination: What It Is

The fact that people deserve equal pay for equal work seems like it should go without saying. Unfortunately, women and other minorities in the workforce find that this ideal is not always a part of their actual realities.

By law, employers are required to provide equal compensation to employees who perform equal work. The job titles do not have to be the same; rather, what constitutes "equal work" is based upon positions that are performed under similar conditions within the same establishment and require substantially equal skill, effort, and responsibility (source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).

How To Identify It

Though they are legally required to provide equal compensation to employees who perform substantially equal work, not all employers abide by these laws. In some cases, employers may be guilty of wage discrimination when they display compensation preferences or advantages to one employee over another. "Compensation" encompasses a broad range of remuneration, including (but not limited to):

Salary
Bonuses
Paid vacation
Reimbursement for travel and other company expenses
Stipends
Profit sharing
Health insurance
Life insurance
401(k) contributions
Other benefits

Though women are more commonly victimized by wage discrimination than men, the laws are designed to provide protection to both genders. Regardless of an employer's personal beliefs, preferences, or prejudices, he/she is prohibited from providing greater or lesser compensation to an employee based on his/her gender and/or accompanying familial situation. If you learn that a coworker who performs the same work as you is receiving a greater paycheck or added benefits, it is important to take swift action.

What To Do

This right to equal pay for equal work is governed and enforced by several laws. When an employer fails to provide equal compensation to employees who perform equal work, he/she may be subject to legal consequences.

If you believe you may be the victim of wage discrimination, contact a Lake of the Ozarks employment attorney. Your attorney can work with you to examine the specific details of your situation so that you can determine whether or not you may have the grounds for a legitimate case. If the right conditions are met, your attorney can work with you to take the appropriate steps.

Contact our employment law attorney in Lake Ozark MO to get started.

Remember, your initial consultation with Gibbons Law Firm is always free.