Campaign to Close the Gender Gap Underway in California [UPDATE]

Gap, Intel, Cisco and First Capitol are among the 14 companies to take the California Pay Equity Pledge, bringing the total number of companies to 27, according to a press release issued by the Office of California Governor Newsom.

Other companies who have signed on to the pledge include Apple, Uber, AT&T, Square, Zynga, Salesforce and Airbnb.

A full list of companies participating in the pledge can be found clicking here.

By taking the pledge, businesses agree to voluntarily:

• Conduct an annual company-wide gender pay analysis;
• Review hiring and promotion processes and procedures to reduce unconscious bias and structural barriers;
• Identify and promote other best practices that will close the pay gap to ensure fundamental equity for all workers.

Businesses who participate will receive the CA Pay Equity Task Force seal to display on their company website and hiring materials.

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, Office of the First Partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California Labor Secretary Julie Su, and Time’s Up have joined forces to persuade California based businesses to work with them to close the gender pay gap in the state. The new #EqualPayCA campaign was announced right before National Equal Pay Day, April 2.

According to the National Partnership for Women & Families, women in California earn 89 cents for every dollar a man makes.

The campaign initiative aims to close the gender wage gap in California by educating employees, employers and labor unions on how to close the pay gap. #EqualPayCA was launched in coordination with TIME’S UP PAY UP, an awareness campaign from TIME’S UP aimed at closing the pay gap nationwide.

The California Commission’s Pay Equity Task Force has made available free resources on the topic, including FAQs, law history, and wage information. The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls created the California Pay Equity Task Force in 2016 in response to the enactment of SB 358 “the California Fair Pay Act”.

“California has the strongest equal pay laws in the nation – but there is still more work to do,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. “That’s why I applaud these California companies for their commitment to pay equity, and why I am excited to partner with the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and TIME’S UP to continue to work toward closing the pay gap. Together, we can uplift California women to ensure a more equitable future for all.”

As quoted by Ariela Gross, a professor of law and history at the University of Southern California Law School in an article by CNBC, “Anything that brings attention to the fact that this still exists, and especially gets a high-profile effort to get companies to make the commitment to pay equity, is encouraging.”

#EqualPayCA is another example of the many pay equity initiatives and laws that are taking shape across the U.S. It’s time for U.S. companies to recognize pay equity as a rising issue in the business landscape and get themselves prepared. A pay equity audit is a way for employers to take a proactive approach to the cultural shift and could bode well for your organization by minimizing legal risk and preventing bad PR.

To learn more about achieving pay equity, click here.