

Effort refers to the amount of physical or mental exertion needed to perform the job. Skill refers to the experience, ability, education, and training required to perform the job. “Substantially similar work” refers to work that is mostly similar in skill, effort, responsibility, and performed under similar working conditions. What does “substantially similar work” mean? The amended Equal Pay Act prohibits an employer from paying any of its employees wage rates that are less than what it pays employees of the opposite sex, or of another race, or of another ethnicity for substantially similar work, when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, and responsibility, and performed under similar working conditions. What does the current California Equal Pay Act provide? These amendments are effective January 1, 2019. Most recently, on July 18, 2018, Governor Brown signed amendments clarifying section 432.3.
EQUAL PAY ACT S CODE
And Labor Code section 432.3 was enacted, also effective January 1, 2018, prohibiting employers, with one exception, from seeking applicants’ salary history information and requiring employers to supply pay scales upon the request of an applicant.

In addition, employers are prohibited from using prior salary to justify any sex-, race-, or ethnicity-based pay difference.Įffective January 1, 2018, the Equal Pay Act covers public employers. The provisions, protections, procedures, and remedies relating to race- or ethnicity-based claims are identical to the ones relating to sex. California law now prohibits an employer from paying its employees less than employees of the opposite sex, or of another race, or of another ethnicity for substantially similar work. Effective January 1, 2017, Governor Brown signed a bill that added race and ethnicity as protected categories. Each year since then has brought further amendments to the Equal Pay Act. Have there been more changes to the Equal Pay Act since January 1, 2016? These provisions were effective January 1, 2016.

