New York women make 82.9 cents to men’s $1

Though New York certainly doesn’t have the worst wage gap between men and women, it is not at the top. For every one dollar that a man earns, a woman earns 82.9 cents on average. Not only is this wildly unfair, it potentially violates the federal Equal Pay Act. The law, like many federal and New York-state laws, tries to remedy the wage gap between men and women, something that has been plaguing our society since time immemorial.

While New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been trying to improve work conditions for women, it is unknown if his Women’s Equality Act will become law. If it does, however, it would go far to reduce the wage gap. Moreover, it stops employers from discriminating against women because they have children, specifically with denying women jobs or promotions. Finally, the law would allow women who work for small businesses with fewer than four employees to file sexual harassment lawsuits.

There are still many employers in New York City who refuse to pay their female employees the same wage as their male employees in the same job. Should an employee wish to consult an employee rights attorney about the matter, he or she may be able to file a workplace discrimination lawsuit. Holding an employer liable for its discriminatory practices sends an important message: paying women less is not acceptable.

One of the reasons why women earn so much less than men is because an overwhelming majority of minimum-wage jobs are held by women. Even at higher, professional incomes, however, women are less likely to be paid the same as their male counterparts.

Source: Stateline, “Size of Gender Pay Gap Varies By State, Job,” Susan Milligan, Jan. 23, 2014

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