Equal Pay For Equal Work
Employers are required to pay male and female employees equally for performing substantially similar work. As discussed elsewhere, laws against sex discrimination prohibit employers from treating employees differently because of their sex with regard to the terms and conditions of employment. The Equal Pay Act supplements the more general sex discrimination law by specifically addressing sex-based wage differences.
The Equal Pay Act has been interpreted narrowly by the courts. An employee generally must prove that he or she was paid less than an employee of the opposite sex performing substantially identical work under substantially identical circumstances. Thus, a female employee would have to prove she did work requiring nearly identical qualifications with essentially identical duties in the same department under the same supervision and without any differences such as experience, longevity, or training.
Attorney Wes Sullenger can help you determine whether you meet the requirements of the Equal Pay Act or general sex discrimination law. If you think you have been the victim of sex-based discrimination in your wages, call us at (270) 443-9401 to schedule a consultation so we can evaluate your case and discuss what we can do to help you.
