The equal pay act epa was instituted in 1963 and was intended to prevent sex discrimination in wages. Be it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the united states of america in congress assembled, that this act may be cited as the equal pay act of 1963. The act became an amendment to the fair labor standards act in 1963. The equal pay act of 1963 is a united states labor law amending the fair labor standards act, aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex see gender pay gap. Legislative history of the equal pay act of 1963 1963.
The law states that there shall be no discrimination or bias between genders at any establishment where someone is employed, and that wages shall be equal or competitive as long as all employees perform the same or very similar skill sets of work. Everything you need to know about the equal pay act. The epa prohibits agencies from paying employees of one sex lower wages than those of the opposite sex for equal work performed under similar working conditions. The equal pay act, signed in to law by president john f. Equal pay act of 1963 united states 1963 britannica. Article information, pdf download for why the equal pay act and laws.
In passing the bill, congress stated that sex discrimination depresses wages and living standards for employees necessary for their. This discrepancy was the catalyst that led to john f. Home federal employment and labor laws equal pay act of 1963 epa 29 u. The equal pay act of 1963 guarantees that male and female employees that are performing essentially identical jobs cannot be compensated different amount because of their genders. Choose from 23 different sets of equal pay act of 1963 flashcards on quizlet. From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia the equal pay act of 1963 is a united states federal law amending the fair labor standards act, aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex see gender pay gap. The national war labor board first advocated equal pay for equal work in 1942, and an equal pay act was proposed in 1945. Pdf the everevolving nature of case law means that even as. It is part of a larger architecture of fairness in wages known as the fair labor standards act flsa. See equal pay act of 1963, public law 38, 88th cong.
The history of this act was to end genderbased discrimination in labor wages. The equal pay act of 1963 prohibits employers from paying different wages on the basis of gender for equal work on jobs the performance of which requires equal skill, effort, and. Equal pay act of 1963 essay sample free college essay. Media in category equal pay act of 1963 the following 4 files are in this category, out of 4 total. The equal pay act of 1963 epa prohibits discrimination in compensation based on sex. This act made it illegal to pay men and women different wages for the same work. The task force took the view that the vast majority of employers do not. His remarks on signing the bill echoed stanleys from almost 20 years earlier. What ensued after a decadeslong fight was the equal pay act of 1963, signed into the nations employment laws by president john f. News and world report entitled when women get paid as much as men. The equal pay act was officially signed into law by president john f kennedy on june 10 th, 1963. However, the goal of that landmark legislation is still unrealized. For basic legal issues to more complex ones, youll.
Jun 10, 20 50 years after the equal pay act, gender wage gap endures president john f. The equal pay act of 1963 made paying different wages to women and men who perform equal work illegal. Equal pay act 1963 1 equal pay act 1963 must pay males and females equal rates for the same job exemptions a merit system or a system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production or to employees who work in different locations, provided that such differences are not the result of an intention to discriminate because. During the first decades of the 20th century, women. The act states that no working establishment shall discriminate wages on the bases of gender for individuals who perform equal work, which is defined as. However, the average wages given to women are still lower. Title vii of the civil rights act of 1964, as amended, protects applicants and. The act made it illegal to pay men and women working in the same place different salaries for similar work. The equal pay act epa requires that all employees, regardless of gender, are given equal pay for equal work. The equal pay act of 1963 is an important federal employment law that both employers and employees should know about. Equal pay act claims, like title vii wage discrimination claims, rst.
This law was put into effect on june 10 1963, by john f. The act was supposed to prevent gender discrimination with regards to employee wages. The equal pay act of 1963 generally requires covered employers to provide equal pay to persons performing the same job regardless of gender. Our economy today depends upon women in the labor force. The united states code is meant to be an organized, logical compilation of the laws passed by congress. In an effort to end genderbased discrimination in labor wages, congress enacted the equal pay act of 1963, pub. Immediately download the equal pay act of 1963 summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for studying or teaching equal pay act of 1963. Equal pay for equal work eventually became law when john f.
What did the equal pay act of 1963 enshrine in law, and what effect did it have on u. Learn equal pay act of 1963 with free interactive flashcards. Ppt equal pay act 1963 powerpoint presentation free. This article is brought to you for free and open access by the law journals at smu scholar. Since the epa is an amendment to the fair labor standards act flsa, the law prohibits employers from retaliating against an employee who files a claim under the epa or cooperates with an investigation of. Carolyn maloney dny, who continues to call for the prohibition of denying or abridging equal rights under law by the united states or any state on account of sex as it was originally proposed in 1923. Signed by president kennedy in 1963 as an amendment to the fair labor standards act. Despite passage of the equal pay act epa more than a halfcentury ago, surveys. Unequal pay for equal work annals of internal medicine. It was signed into law on june 10, 1963, by john f.
Since the epa is an amendment to the fair labor standards act flsa, the law prohibits employers from retaliating against an employee who files a claim under the epa or cooperates with an. Why the equal pay act and laws which prohibit salary inquiries of. Put plainly, a women shall receive the identical earnings as her male counterpart for the same job. Remedies against unions under the equal pay act of 1963. What did the equal pay act of 1963 enshrine in law, and what effect did it. Kennedy, who at that time was president of the united states. Women working full time, year round were typically paid only 59. The concept of equal pay for equal work is a cornerstone workplace. Until the act was signed into law it was perfectly legal and common practice to openly pay women lower wages than men for the same job. Equal employment opportunity commission the equal pay act of 1963 editors note. Millions of women will get pay raises over the next years, but countless others are in danger of losing their jobs.
The woman who drafted the equal pay act of 1963 one of the key activists in. American association of university women members with president john f. Dec 14, 2009 legislative history of the equal pay act of 1963 amending section 6 of the fair labor standards act of 1938, as amended, public law 8838, 88th congress, h. The equal pay act of 1963,2 codified as an amendment to the fair labor standards act of 1938 flsa,3 provides that neither employers nor labor organizations may engage in sexually discriminatory pay practices. The equal pay act of 1963 is a united states federal law amending the fair labor standards act, aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex see gender pay gap. Eighteen years later, on june 10, 1963, president john f. The law prohibited sex discrimination by employers. Equal pay act of 1963 the equal pay act of 1963 was passed in attempts to reduce the wage gap between the male and female genders.
This act aims at abolishing wage disparity based on sex. Kennedy on june 10, 1963, was one of the first federal antidiscrimination laws that addressed wage differences based on gender. The equal pay act of 1963 epa prohibits wage discrimination based on. Legislative history of the equal pay act of 1963 amending section 6 of the fair labor standards act of 1938, as amended, public law 8838, 88th congress, h. The best resources on the equal pay act of 1963 mint. At its top level, it divides the world of legislation into fifty topicallyorganized titles, and each title is further subdivided into any number of logical subtopics. In 1963, congress passed the equal pay act, which made it illegal for employers to pay women lower wages than men for equal work on jobs requiring the same skill, effort and responsibility. On june 10, 1963, president kennedy signed the equal pay act, as part of the fair labor standards act, into law. The equal pay act of 1963throughout history, women have been paid less than men have, even when employed in identical jobs. Congress included within the text of the epa a clear and concise policy statement and briefly described the problems it was intended to remedy. To prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce. Equal pay act of 1963 the equal pay act of 1963 established the requirements that women should receive equal pay for their amount of work. The equal pay act of 1963 is a federal law that amends the fair labor standards act. Details covered on the quiz include when the movement for the act started and who.
The equal pay act of 1963 is the landmark law that requires employers to pay male and female employees equally for substantially equal work. The principle was equal pay for equal work regardless of sex. Department of labors womens bureau to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1963 equal pay act. Throughout history women have been paid less than men even when employed in the same jobs. Equal pay act of 1963 the equal pay act of 1963 is a u.
The epa provides that employers may not pay unequal wages to men and women who perform jobs that require substantially equal skill, effort and responsibility, and that are performed under similar working conditions within the same establishment. The equal pay act works in conjunction with the civil rights act to prohibit sexbased discrimination in employment compensation. The epaprohibits sexbased wage discrimination between men and women in the same establishment who perform jobs that require substantially equal skill, effort and responsibility under similar. Article information, pdf download for why the equal pay act and laws which. A federal statute which prevents discrimination in the payment of benefits or wages based on an individuals gender when women and men perform work involving similar skill sets, efforts, and job responsibilities. The equal pay act is a federal law amending the fair labor standards act, aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex. The act provides a cause of action for an employee to directly sue for damages.
Definition and summary of the equal pay act of 1963 summary and definition. The following is the text of the equal pay act of 1963 pub. The reach of that principle, however, will depend primarily on how alike two jobs to be in order for the work to be equal. The act established the requirement that women should receive equal pay for equal work.
Since the epa is an amendment to the fair labor standards act flsa, the law prohibits employers from retaliating against an employee who files a claim under. It was generally accepted in the united states that men deserved to earn more money than women do, even if their work was identical. Epa claims can be filed either with the eeoc or directly with the court. To be considered identical jobs, they must require the same level of skill, responsibilities, effort, working conditions, and take place in the same location. Remedies under the epa may include the amount of the salary or wages due from the employer, plus an additional equal amount as liquidated damages. Pdf faculty title vii and equal pay act cases in the twentyfirst. The equal pay act of 1963 is a united states labor law amending the fair labor standards act.
Adds a provision to the fair labor standards act in the minimum wage section requiring that men and women be given equal pay for equal work in the same establishment. Equal employment opportunity is us department of labor. When the law was originally drafted, it called for equal pay for comparable work. Epa background in 1963, congress passed the equal pay act as an amendment to the fair labor standards act, to prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers. The equal pay act of 1963 equal pay act was an amendment to the fair labor standards act and a precursor to the civil rights act. The equal pay act of 1963 was an amendment to the united states fair labor standards act, which is the law that governs hiring, pay, and working conditions for the countrys employees. Although the oommittcc recognizes that instances of unequal pay for the same work have not been entirely eliminated. In passing the bill, congress stated that sex discrimination.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. It prohibits wage disparity based solely on gender. Everything you need to know about the equal pay act 3 reintroduced as h. In addition to sex discrimination prohibited by title vii of the civil rights act, as amended, the equal pay act of 1963, as amended, prohibits sex discrimination in. Equal pay act of 1963 simple english wikipedia, the free. This infographic summarizes compensation to women in the u. Congress passed the civil rights act the next year. Equal pay act 1970 in uk disambiguation page providing links to topics that could be referred to by the same search term this disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title equal pay act. In the following excerpts from the portaltoportal act of 1947, the authority given to the secretary of labor is exercised by the equal employment opportunity commission for purposes of enforcing the equal pay act of 1963. Signed by president kennedy in 1963 as an amendment to the fair labor standards act, the law. Equal pay act of 1963 legal definition of equal pay act of 1963.
Pregnancy discrimination act under title vii back to. The equal pay act is a labor law that prohibits genderbased wage discrimination in the united states. The purpose of the equal pay act of 1963 was to establish equal pay for equal work among men and women. Shattering the equal pay act s glass ceiling deborah thompson eisenberg follow this and additional works at. June 10, 1963 the equal pay act of 1963 generally requires covered employers to provide equal pay to persons performing the same job regardless of gender. In this lesson, you will learn about the act and be given some of the history.
Download free pdf order legisbrief subscription ncsl bookstore legisbriefs home page. Code chapter 8 206d equal pay act of 1963 epa 29 u. Apr 29, 2020 the equal pay act of 1963 was an amendment to the united states fair labor standards act, which is the law that governs hiring, pay, and working conditions for the countrys employees. The following quiz and worksheet combination will determine your knowledge of the equal pay act of 1963. An act to prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce. Kennedy signed the equal pay act in 1963 in an effort to abolish wage discrimination based on gender. Since passage of the equal pay act of 1963 and title vi.
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