Posts Tagged ‘Pay Equity Audits’
Minnesota Adopts Salary History Ban Legislation
Employers operating in the state of Minnesota are no longer allowed to ask job applicants about their prior compensation or benefits. The law (Minnesota SF 2909) went into effect Jan. 1, 2024 and updated the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Minnesota is the 29th state to impose a salary history ban, which is intended to prevent…
Read MoreIntersectionality and How It Impacts Pay Equity
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) discussions within organizations often focus on traditionally marginalized groups in isolation. For example, there might be policies that promote mentorship opportunities for women or an employee resource group (ERG) for Hispanic employees. The differences within our sameness These efforts are important; however, they are arguably overly simplistic. Not all women…
Read MoreHow Pay Equity Audits Can Help Companies Avoid Racial Discrimination
As the historian, Howard Zinn said, “you can’t be neutral on a moving train.” The waves of community outreach, protests, and activism following the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and too many others present employers with an opportunity to implement or reinforce antiracist policies at work. One critical step in accomplishing this…
Read MoreMassachusetts Gender & Racial Wage Gap Persists, Despite the Equal Pay Act
3 minute read The gender gap in Massachusetts showcases the occupational differences that can complicate pay equity, even with the changes to state law. The most populous state in New England, and the home of the diverse metropolitan city of Boston, seemed poised to take a leadership role with the 2016 passage of The Massachusetts…
Read MoreDEI Measurement, Analysis, & Implementation During COVID-19
7 minute read: COVID-19’s Assault on Equality It is well-known that the global COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities by race/ethnicity, gender, education level, and income. Here in Los Angeles, the mortality rate for the least affluent communities is four times larger than that in the most affluent communities. Black and Hispanic/Latinx death rates are more…
Read MoreLessons Learned from Oracle’s Equal Pay Saga
Oracle’s equal pay saga illustrates how a proactive pay equity strategy is better than adopting a reactive approach—to the tune of millions of dollars, as well as bad publicity. Earlier this year, we discussed how Oracle was in the crosshairs of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”), the federal agency housed within the…
Read MoreHow Pay Equity Audits Can Help Companies Avoid Racial Discrimination
As the historian Howard Zinn said, “you can’t be neutral on a moving train.” The waves of community outreach, protests, and activism following the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and others present employers with an opportunity to implement or reinforce antiracist policies at work. One critical step in accomplishing this task is…
Read MoreLocalizing Compensation and Pay Equity Audits
Facebook recently announced that employees who expect to work from home for the long term will receive localized pay adjustments based on where they choose to live, according to reporting from USA Today. TechCrunch added these additional details from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg: “We’ll localize everybody’s comp on January 1,” Zuckerberg said. “They can do…
Read MoreSalary History Ruled Not a Defense in Equal Pay Case
A recent federal court ruling solidifies the prohibition on employers in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington from using salary history as an affirmative defense to an equal pay claim. On February 27, 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decided Rizo v. Yovino, a decision prompted by the case of…
Read MoreAustralia Enacts Gender Equality Bill
Australia continues the global movement towards pay equity. The Australian state of Victoria, which includes the City of Melbourne, recently signed and enacted their first ever Gender Equality Bill. In late February, the Victorian Parliament passed legislation requiring thousands of employers—including in the public sector, universities, and local governments—to prove that they are “actively pursuing”…
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