Paycheck Fairness Act

The Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 781) is designed to strengthen existing laws that prohibit wage discrimination based on sex by closing loopholes in the Equal Pay Act of 1963. If enacted, the bill would prevent employers from retaliating against workers who discuss their salaries with colleagues and would require businesses to prove that any pay differences between men and women are based on legitimate, job-related factors rather than gender.

For citizens, this legislation would increase the legal remedies available to victims of pay discrimination, allowing them to seek the same types of damages currently available for discrimination based on race or ethnicity. Additionally, the bill would establish new training programs for negotiation skills, create a national award for employers who demonstrate progress in pay equity, and require the government to collect more detailed data on wage disparities to improve enforcement of fair pay standards.