Pennsylvania Equal Pay/Comparable Worth laws & HR compliance analysis

Pennsylvania Equal Pay/Comparable Worth: What you need to know

The Pennsylvania Equal Pay Law prohibits employers from discriminating between employees based on sex in any establishment where the employees work by paying employees of one sex a wage rate that is lower than the rate paid to employees of the opposite sex for equal work on jobs that require equal skill, effort, and responsibility and that are performed under similar working conditions (PA Stat. Tit. 43 Sec. 336.1 et seq.). Differences in wages are permissible if based on a seniority or merit system, a system that measures quality or quantity of production, or any other factor other than sex. The law covers all employers, regardless of size, but does not apply to employees covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Wage reduction prohibited. Employers may not reduce the wage rate of any employee in order to comply with the law.
Contracts. An agreement under which an employee or prospective employee agrees to accept a rate of pay lower than that paid to employees of the opposite sex for the same work cannot be used by an employer as a defense (PA Stat. Tit. 43 Sec. 336.5).
Employers are required to maintain records that include each employee's name, address, and wage rate. Records must be kept for a period of 1 year unless they are relevant in a pending legal action (PA Admin. Code Tit. 34 Sec. 9.62).
Employers are required to conspicuously display a summary of the Equal Pay Law's requirements in the workplace.
The Department of Labor and Industry enforces the equal pay provisions. The Department has the authority to enter any employer's premises, inspect and copy payrolls and other employment records, compare the ...

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Pennsylvania Equal Pay/Comparable Worth Resources

Type Title
White Papers Why is there still a gender pay gap?
See all Equal Pay/Comparable Worth Resources