U.S. Pay Equity Laws Miss Key Components to Promote Fairness and Help Businesses Comply, Says New Report from Syndio & Fair Pay Workplace
/SEATTLE, March 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. federal and state pay equity laws all lack at least some of the key components to make the laws effective for employees and feasible for companies to comply, according to a new report. Syndio, a leading EquityTech analytics platform with a mission to ensure fairness and equity are part of every employment decision, and Fair Pay Workplace, a nonprofit organization offering a transparent and trusted certification standard for employers dedicated to true pay equity, today released, The State of Pay Equity Laws in the U.S.—2021.
In the nearly 60 years since the federal Equal Pay Act of 1963 was signed into legislation, 44 states have enacted pay equity laws. Yet, despite the passage of these well-intentioned laws, progress on closing the pay gap in the U.S. has stalled. The report from Syndio and Fair Pay Workplace outlined 10 components that any law should include to ensure fair pay, and make it possible for companies to comply.
"Despite a growing number of state and federal rules encouraging pay equity, the U.S. is persistently behind in closing the pay gap," said Maria Colacurcio, CEO of Syndio. "Many laws stifle employers' ability to make progress on pay equity, while others have flaws that don't fully protect the people who are not being paid fairly. To move the needle on pay equity, it's important to ensure any new laws protect the rights of individuals and are feasible for companies."