The Comp Doctor

Extreme Makeover – The Equal Pay Act of 1963

Written by Janet F. Koechel, JFK Consulting, Inc.

The Evolution of Equal
In 1963 President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act. Today – almost half a century later, there is a wave of new legislation related to gender pay discrimination being championed by Congress to correct these same inequities. Although the labor landscape has dramatically improved for women since 1963, the pay gap between male and female workers still exists, and a large number of gender pay discrimination cases continue to clog the federal courts. Why? Because for many women, gender discrimination is still prevalent today. In fact, there has been an epidemic of gender pay discrimination class-action suits recently – some have been settled – others are pending.

Take a look at the surprising details of the controversial lawsuit Women vs. Wal-Mart, the largest retailer and largest employer in the United States. The case has been tied up in court since it was first filed in 2001. Labeled “the largest civil rights class action suit in history,” it covers more than 1.6 million women. A related landmark case that made the news was the Lilly Ledbetter vs. Goodyear suit. This inspired the recently enacted 2009 Fair Pay Act. And another law currently being considered by Congress, called the Paycheck Fairness Act, proposes more punitive action against corporations found guilty of gender pay discrimination.

There have been numerous bills proposed in the House and the Senate that address this discriminatory practice in various forms, but the questions remain, what is the root cause of gender pay discrimination and how can we correct these cultural biases? Should we create new amendments to existing laws or enforce the current ones more vigorously? Let’s examine some of the details.

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Janet F. Koechel, CCP
JFK Consulting, Inc.
janet@jfkconsulting.net
www.jfkconsulting.net

Janet Koechel is a seasoned compensation expert with over 25 years of experience in human resources. As Managing Director of JFK Consulting, Inc., she specializes in the design of strategic compensation programs for domestic and multinational companies.

Janet is a certified compensation professional (CCP) and is an active member of the North Texas Compensation Association. Janet has published articles in a variety of compensation venues including ACA News, and workspan, the news magazine for WorldatWork and “The Comp Doctor” for NTCA. A frequent presenter at national and regional human resources conferences, she has spoken on topics such as performance measures, mergers and acquisitions, salary surveys, incentive plan design, gender pay discrimination, FLSA compliance, and related topics.

Ms. Koechel holds a Bachelor’s degree from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, and is a member of WorldatWork and the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from WorldatWork for contributions to the compensation and benefits profession.