Paycheck Fairness Act Would Allow Workers To Discuss Salary Info

The “Paycheck Fairness Act,” introduced by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CN) would prohibit companies from retaliating against workers who discuss salary information. The law would also require employers to prove any pay discrepancies among workers are unrelated to gender, as well as both necessary for the business and tied to job performance.

The Paycheck Fairness Act aims to build on the Lilly Ledbetter Act, which President Obama signed into law in 2009. That law gives workers more leeway to sue their employers over pay discrimination before the statute of limitations runs out.

Women make on average about 82% of what men make, according to a 2011 study from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research cited by USA Today. But almost half of workers are either not allowed or are strongly discouraged by their employers from discussing pay information with coworkers.