For years it has been reported that female employees earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. While conclusions reached by some on the subject may be questioned based on a variety of factors,1 there is no question that equal pay is a topic of serious debate and now, the government has weighed in again on the subject.
On the seven-year anniversary of the signing into law of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced on Jan. 27, 2016, the publication of a proposal to collect pay data for all employers with 100 or more employees. From the EEOC’s perspective, the data collection will help employers evaluate their own pay practice to prevent discrimination in their pay practice. The public comment period began with the filing of the proposed rule in the Federal Register on Feb. 1, 2016, leaving 57 days (April 1, 2016) to submit a formal comment. This will be followed by a public hearing which may result in changes to the proposed rule or no changes at all. The proposed rule (and any modifications) will be effective 120 days after publication in the Federal Register.
