#EqualPayCA
@CCSWG
@C
CSWG
Have you ever thought about
how the gender pay gap affects
you? Wondering if you’re being
appropriately compensated at
work? Curious what your rights
are under the law? Don’t worry,
California has your back!
#EqualPayCA , an initiative led by the Office
of the First Partner and the California
Commission on the Status of Women and Girls,
is arming employers and employees alike with
key tools and resources to close the gap.
#EqualPayCA wants YOU to know the facts,
know your worth, know your rights, and know
your options.
Together, we can create an #EqualPayCA.
Join us!
Know the facts
California has the strongest equal pay laws in the nation:
California law requires that employers pay women and men doing substantially similar work the same wage rate. These protections extend to both race and ethnicity.
But the pay gap still exists. In California, compared to white men, for every dollar: i
• White women earn 80 cents;
• Asian American women earn 75 cents;
• Black women earn 60 cents; and
• Latina women earn 43 cents
The gap compounds over a lifetime:
A typical woman loses hundreds of thousands of dollars over her lifetime due to the wage gap. ii
But we know that negotiating your salary can make a big difference — one study showed that negotiating a pay bump in your first job can increase lifetime earnings by over $1 million.
iii
i Intersections: Identity, access, & equity. (2019). Center for the Advancement of Women. Retrieved from https://www.
msmu.edu/media/website/content-assets/msmuedu/home/
status-of-women-and-girls-in-california/documents/RSWG- 2019-ReportFull.pdf
ii Lifetime earnings lost due to the gender wage gap. (n.d.).
T
he Status of Women in the States. Retrieved from https:// statusofwomendata.org/quick-figures/lifetime-earningslost- due-to-the-gender-wage-gap/
iii Goudreau, J. (2013, September 23). Not negotiating your s
alary could cost $1 million over time. Business Insider.
Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/not-
negotiatingcosts-workers-1-million-2013-9
CSWG 10/2019
The California pay gap still exists.
White Men
$1.00 dollar
White Women
80 cents
Asian American Women
75 cents
Black Women
60 cents
Latina Women
43 cents
Know your rights
Can an employer ask an applicant about his or
her prior salary?
No. California law prohibits all employers from seeking salary history information about an applicant for employ- ment and requires employers to provide the pay scale for a position to an applicant upon reasonable request.
Can an employee discuss his or her wages with
other employees?
Employees can discuss wages with one another,
including asking an employee about his or her wages,
without discrimination or retaliation by the employer.
There is no obligation on any employee to disclose his
or her wage or engage in these discussions. Employers
can take reasonable measures to protect the privacy
of information regarding employees’ compensation,
including prohibiting employees who have access or
control over confidential wage information given their
job duties and responsibilities, from disclosing such
information without the consent of those employees.
Am I protected from retaliation?
Yes. California’s equal pay laws protect against
retaliation and there are other laws that may apply to
you if you engage in these kinds of activities with your coworkers.
Know your worth
I need to make sure I make enough money, what do I do?
Before you even begin applying for jobs or interviewing, you’re right, you need to be aware of what possible pay ranges or options exist. Doing so will help guide your research into what training you might need to increase your earnings and other requirements for possible jobs. And, you can use pay range information when you interview and are hired to make sure you are asking for and being offered pay that is similar to people with similar jobs.
Labor Market Information o n EDD’s website also offers basic information about potential salaries and pay rates for specific jobs. This tool is a handy way to learn about the possible income/pay rate for a job in which you are interested.
Visit: www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov to learn more.
Know your options
There are many ways you can find out if you’re being
appropriately compensated for your work and your
particular role.
In addition to speaking with your co-workers and colleagues who do similar work as you do but work for a different employer (especially if they work in the same geographic area or region as you), check out the resources at www.women.ca.gov/
californiapayequity/ to learn more about what the pay range may look like for people with your job and /or in your occupation in a particular area. Remember that job titles vary and can be helpful, but are not determinative, in figuring out what the appropriate compensation level is for a particular position.
Resources that provide pay ranges, rather than just the average or median salary for a particular type of job, are generally more helpful.
If I am not getting equal pay, what can I do?
If you believe you are not receiving “equal pay”
you may consider:
• Talking to your boss (and bring a co-worker with you as a witness, to support you and establish that you’re engaging in protected, concerted activity)
• Talking to your coworkers
• Talking to your union rep
• Consulting with an attorney
• Filing a claim with the California Labor Commissioner’s Office • Filing a claim in court
For more info on #EqualPayCA go to
www.women.ca.gov
and gov.ca.gov/first-partner/#equalpayca