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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
07/22/2024 12:31 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20210&chamber=H&cosponId=37848
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House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: November 10, 2022 04:11 PM
From: Representative Karen Boback
To: All House members
Subject: Equal Pay Law
 
I intend to introduce legislation similar to HB 166 from the prior legislative session to amend the state Equal Pay Law. 
 
According to the National Women's Law Center (NWLC), women make only 82 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts – which translates to $10,157 less per year in median earnings.  The gap is even larger for mothers, who earn only 70% of what fathers earn in similar occupations.
 
The COVID-19 pandemic has especially exposed working mothers in front-line occupations.  According to the NWLC, mothers with children under 18 are 15.9% of all workers, but they make up 34.8% of registered nurses and 27.7% of child care workers.  Indeed, many types of mothers working in front-line occupations earn only a fraction of fathers working in the same jobs.  For example, the NWLC points to:
  • Mothers who are janitors/building cleaners/maids/housekeepers earn 64 cents for every dollar fathers work in those occupations.
  • Mothers who are child care workers earn 70 cents for every dollar fathers earn in the same occupation.
  • Mothers who are cashiers and retail sales workers in grocery stores earn 72 cents for every dollar a father earns in the same occupation.
 
My legislation will craft an Equal Pay Law that:
  • Clarifies that comparable work performed under similar working conditions will be compensated equally.
  • Provides that time spent on leave due to a pregnancy-related condition or other prenatal or protected family and medical leave will not reduce seniority.
  • Prohibit employers from preventing employees from discussing their compensation between and among fellow employees.
  • Prevent employers from screening applicants based on salary history – and require that employers obtain authorization from applicants before seeking salary and benefit information from a prior employer.
  • Prohibit employers from retaliation against an employee who files a complaint, cooperates with an investigation or testifies against the employer.
  • Maintain the two-year time-frame to file a complaint and increase penalties for violations to $1,000 (up from $50-$200).
  • Create the Equal Pay Commission to study the factors, causes and impact of gender-based pay disparity.
I hope you will join me in cosponsoring this important legislation.