Gender-based wage discrimination is illegal in New Jersey under state law and Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act and the Federal Equal Pay Act. Although the two federal laws have been in place for about 50 years, too many employers continue to pay women less than men for equal work.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult for employees to learn whether they are victims of wage discrimination because few people know how much their co-workers are being paid. Those who do find out that they are being discriminated against often have a difficult time holding their employers accountable due to a short statute of limitations. New Jersey lawmakers are sending two passed bills to Gov. Chris Christie’s desk to help employees fight wage discrimination.

• The Unfair Wage Recovery Act: This bill is New Jersey’s version of the federal Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. If passed into law, each paycheck that reflects discriminatory wages would be considered an instance of discrimination, thus extending the statute of limitations, and potentially expanding recoverable damages, every payday.
• The Wage Transparency Act: This bill would require companies that contract with the state to disclose payroll information to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. This information would be categorized by job title, race and gender, and it would be available to the public. This would allow those employed by state contractors to see what their counterparts earn.

If passed into law with the governor’s signature, supporters of these measures believe they will empower New Jersey residents to fight for their employment rights and narrow the gender wage gap.

Anyone who feels that s/he is a victim of wage or other forms of employment discrimination should contact an experienced plaintiff’s employment lawyer to review the facts and applicable law and get timely legal advice to right the wrong if possible.

Source: The Record, “N.J. Assembly sends anti-wage-discrimination bills to Christie’s desk,” Michael Linhorst, June 16, 2014