Pay Equity – Keep Your Eye on Equal Pay for Men and Women

Restaurant operators in California and New York must pay attention now to pay equity, that is, whether they are paying female and male employees equally for similar work. Recent amendments to the state Fair Pay Acts in California and New York significantly narrow the ground upon which restaurant operators may defend paying a woman less than a male employee, or vice versa. The amended state laws require equal pay for similar work and give employers very little discretion to deviate from the mandate.

Losing a case under either the California or New York law will be tremendously costly for restaurant operators. Instead of risking suit, operators must understand now the new legal obligations and take the steps needed to avoid liability.

The Mandate for Equal Pay for Similar WorkEmployers must pay women and men equally for “substantially similar work, when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, and responsibility, and performed under similar working conditions,” under the amended…