Although the federal government outlawed wage discrimination based on sex in 1963, many women still face this type of discrimination here in New Jersey and throughout the country. In fact, Worcester County, Maryland, recently settled a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that accused a county board of paying female clerks less than male clerks even though they were all doing the same jobs.

To help close the wage gap in New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie signed a new bill into law last week. The law bans employers from requiring salary secrecy; it makes it illegal for employers to retaliate against employees who disclose job information, such as title and compensation, when the disclosures were made to prevent unfair and illegal wage practices.

The law is very significant as it has been estimated that almost 50 percent of workers are discouraged — or even prohibited — by their employers from sharing wage information.

A similar law, the Paycheck Fairness Act, has been introduced in the U.S. Congress and it remains to be seen how our federal lawmakers will act on that.

The wage gap is a major factor in the U.S. workforce, and the Census Bureau reports that women only earn an average of 77 cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts. Minority women earn even less.

Allowing employees to freely discuss their rate of compensation may empower them to stand up for their employment rights. Under the Equal Pay Act of 1963, men and women who perform similar jobs under similar working conditions must generally be paid the same rate, absent merit and seniority systems. When employers violate this law, employees have the right to seek legal recourse.

Source: New Jersey 101.5, “NJ Fighting Gender Pay Discrimination,” Kevin McArdle, Aug. 29, 2013

Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “Worcester County Will Pay $60,000 to Resolve EEOC Pay Discrimination Lawsuit,” Sept. 3, 2013