DOL Launches Equal Pay Application Development Contest
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- Published on Wednesday, 01 February 2012 05:53
In an effort to develop new ways to eliminate the gender gap in pay, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and its federal agency partners on the National Equal Pay Task Force, announced a contest for creating software applications that use the DOL’s data to promote equal pay for men and women. According to the DOL, women are still paid less on average than their male counterparts for doing comparable jobs, and the discrepancy is even more significant for minority women. The “Equal Pay App Challenge” is asking developers “to use publicly available data and resources to create innovative, easy-to-use apps that educate users about the pay gap and provide tools to combat it. The apps should improve the accessibility of pay data broken down by gender, race and ethnicity, and provide coaching on early career pay, pay negotiation or career mentorship.” More information, including a complete list of the contest's rules and requirements, is available at http://www.challenge.gov/labor. According to Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, "Women make up nearly half of the U.S. labor force and play a vital role in the nation's economy…While progress has been made in recent decades, the pay gap continues to disadvantage many women, with consequences not only for them, but for their families and the economy as a whole."
Those applications that best meet the criteria for the challenge will be eligible to receive one of eight prizes, including scholarships to attend an eight-week immersive program on digital product innovation and entrepreneurship hosted by General Assembly, a campus for technology, design and entrepreneurship. The contest will be open for submissions from Jan. 31 until March 31; winners will be announced in connection with Equal Pay Day in April. Read More.
EEOC Pledges “Rigorous Enforcement” Of Equal Pay Laws
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- Published on Thursday, 25 August 2011 18:33
The U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) have pledged "rigorous enforcement" of equal pay laws for federal employees. According to EEOC Chair Jacqueline A.Berrien, "We cannot achieve our national commitment to equal employment opportunity until women are included as equal partners in every workplace, including the federal government. The federal government should be a model employer in every regard—including equal pay.” OPM Director John Berry commented that “Equal pay for equal work is the law, it's right, and its time has come. OPM and the EEOC are working together to ensure that federal equal pay laws are vigorously enforced in the federal workplace...Ensuring equal pay for equal work without regard to gender, or any other prohibited basis helps us recruit and retain the most talented workforce to serve the American people. While this wage gap is smaller in the federal government than in other sectors, much work remains to be done to ensure that the federal government is a model employer." A 2009 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that the gender wage gap for federal employees declined from 28 cents on the dollar in 1987 to 11 cents in 2007. However, in terms of the 11 cent gap, seven cents could not be accounted for by differences in education, years of service, or other non-discriminatory factors. Read More.
DOL Considers Development Of Data Tool To Combat Pay Discrimination
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- Published on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 13:48
The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is considering the development of a new data tool to collect information on salaries, wages and other benefits paid to employees of federal contractors and subcontractors. According to the DOL, “the tool would improve OFCCP's ability to gather data that could be analyzed for indicators of discrimination, such as disparities faced by female and minority workers.” Executive Order 11246 prohibits companies that do business with the federal government from discriminating in employment practices — including compensation — on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion. The data tool would provide OFCCP investigators with “insight into potential pay discrimination warranting further review” and the data tool would “provide a self-assessment element to help employers evaluate the effects of their compensation practices.” According to Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, "Today, almost 50 years after the Equal Pay Act became law, the wage gap has narrowed, but not nearly enough…The president and I are committed to ending pay discrimination once and for all." The Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2010 women earned an average of 77 cents for every dollar paid to men. Public comment on the proposal is encouraged. Read More.
Wage Disparity Can Be Costly For Employers
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- Published on Thursday, 12 May 2011 17:21
A recent case demonstrates that wage disparity can be costly for employers. The case involves Hyundai Ideal Electric Company (HIEC), which must pay $188,000 to settle a sex discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC charged that an employee trained as "an experienced female drafter," was hired by HIEC for a job preparing drawings and sketches for batteries and engines, but at a lower salary than that of a similarly situated male who was hired only months later. When the employee learned about the disparity in wages, she complained to HIECs then human resources manager, and allegedly was subsequently fired in retaliation for her complaint. Wage discrimination and retaliation for complaining about the discrimination are in violation of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In addition to the settlement amount, HIEC has agreed to provide training for all human resources personnel and employees at the facility where the incident occurred; in addition, it will post an anti-discrimination notice to all employees. The training must focus on compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws, including Title VII and the EPA, in addition to an emphasis on preventing discrimination in pay and terms and conditions of employment as well as retaliation. According to Debra Lawrence, regional attorney for the EEOCs Philadelphia District, "The EEOC will not tolerate discriminatory pay practices...To help build public awareness of this continuing problem, EEOC offices are holding Fair Pay Day events throughout the country." According to its website, Hyundai Ideal Electric Co. is the leader in medium power generators for gas, steam and hydro turbines, and diesel engines....
EEOC Offers Employers Opportunity to Comment on Significant Regulations
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- Published on Friday, 11 March 2011 18:14
The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) has announced that it is beginning a new, periodic retrospective review of its existing significant regulations to determine whether any such regulations should be modified, streamlined, expanded, or repealed, to make the EEOC's regulatory program more effective and/or less burdensome in achieving its regulatory objectives. The EEOC is acting pursuant to Executive Order 13563, which applies across the federal government. The EEOC's regulatory program covers enforcement of six employment nondiscrimination laws: (1) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; (2) the Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended; (3) the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended; (4) Titles I and V of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended; (5) Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended; and (6) Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. The EEOC is seeking the public's help, including employers, in designing their plan for this review. Specifically, the EEOC stated that "We are interested in what you think should be included in EEOC's initial list of regulations for review over the next two years. You can offer input on specific regulations including: why you believe the regulation should be modified, streamlined, expanded, or repealed; any available data on the costs and benefits of the regulation; and how we can better achieve the regulation's objective. We are accepting your comments from now through March 22, 2011. Late-filed comments will be considered to the extent practicable. We will not be able to acknowledge individual comments, but we value your input and will give your ideas careful consideration. We plan to post the retrospective review plan on this website."...
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