Equal Pay 2023: Find Out Which States Enacted Equal Pay Laws

People are familiar with the term equal pay. There are different situations where they first hear it. But everyone probably hears equal pay during elections and election campaigns.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced their new actions to promote women's employment and support working families during Equal Pay Day 2022. Among them were advancing pay equity for the federal workforce, conducting pay equity audits to help address and prevent pay disparities based on gender, race, or ethnicity, and assisting childcare providers to boost pay for childcare workers.

This article will discuss equal pay and which states have enacted equal pay laws.

What is Equal Pay?

As the name suggests, equal pay is about fairly compensating individuals with the same responsibilities. Biases and factors unrelated to roles like gender, race, age, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics must not affect the decision-making process in compensating them.

Is Equal Pay an Urgent Issue?

Yes, it is still an issue. In some workplaces, managing equal pay has not been addressed. According to UN Women, injustice still occurs in compensating women, and opportunity gaps still exist.

States with Equal Pay Laws

A total of 42 states enacted equal pay laws, acts, or statutes in 2022. Before discussing equal pay laws in 2022, the Equal Pay Act of 1963 has existed for decades and applies in all 49 states and the District of Columbia.

As time goes by, many state legislatures have introduced stronger laws. Some laws promote pay transparency and wage history provisions to ensure employers maintain pay equity.

Below are just the top 15 states that implemented equal pay laws:

• Alabama (HB 225 Clarke Figures Equal Pay Act) > Employment Discrimination Act
• Alaska (Employment Discrimination Act) > Employment Discrimination Act
• Arizona (Equal Wages) > Private companies and Public employers
• Arkansas (Wage Discrimination) > Private companies and Public employers.
• California (Equal Pay Act) > Private companies and Public employers
• Colorado (Equal Pay For Equal Work Act) > Private companies and Public employers
• Connecticut (Discrimination in compensation on the basis of sex) > Private companies and Public employers
• Delaware (Differential rate of pay based on gender prohibited) > Private companies and Public employers
• Florida (Wage discrimination based on sex prohibited) > Private companies with 2+ employees
• Georgia (Sex Discrimination in Employment (Georgia Equal Pay Act)) > Private companies with 10+ employee’s Public employers
• Hawaii (Equal pay; sex discrimination and Wage discrimination prohibited) > Private companies and Public employers
• Idaho (Discriminatory Wage Rates Based on Sex) > Private companies and Public employers
• Illinois (Equal Wage Act; Equal Pay Act of 2003; Wages of Women and Minors Act; Ill. Executive Order 2019-02 Executive Order No. 2018-1) >
• Indiana (Minimum Wags: Rates; Discrimination) > Private companies with 2+ employees
• Iowa (Compensation based on comparable worth; Wage discrimination in employment) > Private companies and Public employers

If you want to know which other states have implemented equal pay laws, you may visit this link.

Equal Pay Law Duration

Implementing equal pay laws gives everyone hope for change and progress. Each state’s equal pay laws are uniquely designed, depending on the population’s needs and current issues. Government agencies are responsible for enforcing the laws, and it may depend on how they adapt to them.

Hearing about the considerable progress made in enhancing policies to address equal pay is something to celebrate. But in reality, women in the U.S. still earn approximately 82 cents for every dollar men earn. The effects may not quickly occur because changes undergo a process.

The duration of achieving the goal of equal pay is uncertain. It may depend on how organizations and states adapt to the changes. It may also depend on legislative efforts, societal changes, and corporate practices.

Final Thoughts

Achieving equal pay is a complex issue. Creating an effective equal pay strategy is influenced by numerous factors. Human resources (HR) teams must consider societal norms, economic conditions, and legislative actions.

Every company wants to avoid any legal issues. With that, it is important to check the salary ranges for specific job roles. Some companies are relying on compensation management software.

Most people may think compensation management software is best for monitoring competitors. While this is true, this software also helps to check what is happening on the job market with the help of comprehensive data, allowing HR professionals to become aware of the prices of the services.

CompAnalyst, for example. It provides the data and insights you need to make pay decisions confidently.

Other than that, companies must also be aware of changes in employment policies. That said, it is important to consider all the essential factors when making a strategy to address pay equity in the workplace.