by The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) have announced commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act. The Equal Pay Act is a federal law that prohibits sex-based wage discrimination. It requires that men and women in the same workplace receive equal pay for equal work in jobs that are substantially equal and performed under similar working conditions.
The EEOC is responsible for enforcing the Equal Pay Act, as well as other federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against applicants and employees based on various protected categories. As part of the anniversary celebration, the agency is launching a social media video campaign called “Level the Paying Field”. https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-launches-level-paying-field-equal-pay-video-campaign.
As part of the campaign, the agency offers graphics and other tools that the public can use to show their support for equal pay. The website also provides an updated list of pay discrimination litigation and other updates. For more information on equal pay and compensation, see: https://www.eeoc.gov/equal-paycompensation-discrimination.
The OFCCP joins the EEOC in its celebration of the Act. The OFCCP enforces Executive Order 11248, which makes it unlawful for federal contractors and subcontractors to discriminate based on sex, including in compensation decisions. Since FY 2021, the agency has recovered nearly $39.4 million in backpay and salary adjustments on behalf of over 12,000 women jobseekers and workers experiencing discrimination, including pay discrimination.
The OFCCP has published an Equal Pay Act factsheet describing recent actions by the agency and the federal government in challenging pay discrimination. https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OFCCP/pdf/EqualPayDayFactSheet.pdf
