The Equal Pay Act (EPA) of 1963 is a federal law which prohibits pay discrimination on the basis of gender. The EPA is an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act and was enacted to rectify the pay inequity that existed (and still persists today) between men and women who perform the same job duties.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act was passed one year after the EPA, and expanded workers' rights with respect to discrimination in the workplace. While the EPA only addressed pay discrimination between men and women, Title VII prohibits all forms of employment discrimination (for promotions, hiring, firing, wages, etc. ) based on race, religion, national origin and gender.
The EPA prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in the payment of wages or benefits, where men and women perform work of similar skill, effort, and responsibility for the same employer under similar working conditions. The EPA governs the conduct of all employers--federal, state, and local governments as well as private employers.
To bring a claim under the EPA, the employee must show that:
Employers can justify a pay differential by proving the pay difference is the result of:
The job in question does not have to be identical, but rather needs to be substantially the same. Job descriptions and titles are irrelevant, what counts is the actual work being done. Under the EPA, two jobs are considered equal when they require equal levels of 1) skill, 2) effort, and 3) responsibility, and are performed under similar working conditions at the same worksite (generally).
Minor differences in skill, effort or responsibility will be disregarded and the jobs will generally still be considered the same. If one employee has extra skills or duties deemed important, however, it is legal for the employer to pay that employee more than a counterpart. If, on the other hand, employers consistently favor one gender in doling out these extra duties (and therefore, extra compensation), courts will look at these situations unfavorably.
EPA claims do not need to be filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), unlike claims under Title VII (more below), but a provisional claim should be filed with the EEOC so that remedies under Title VII are not lost.
The statute of limitations for filing an EPA claim is two years for non-willful violations and three years for willful violations.
Title VII is a broad anti-employment discrimination law which bars all forms of discrimination in the workplace - including gender, race, national origin and religion - in the hiring, firing promotion, and pay of employees. Title VII covers only employers who have employed 15 or more employees for at least 20 weeks in the previous and current calendar year.
Because Title VII is broader and encompasses the gender wage discrimination of the EPA, there are a great deal of crossover claims.
Under Title VII, you must first file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the EEOC must grant you a "right to sue" letter before you can sue your employer in federal court.
You must file a Title VII claim within 180 days of the receipt of a paycheck which reflects the gender wage discrimination. This is the result of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which was the first piece of legislation signed into law by President Obama.
Where both the EPA and Title VII claims overlap, there are advantages and potential disadvantages to both.
Factors in favor of filing under the EPA:
Factors in favor of filing under Title VII:
Whether you choose to file under the EPA or Title VII, or both, you should be aware of the requirements for each, as well as the statutes of limitation. Applying these laws can be confusing and the facts of your individual circumstances will be necessary. Contact a local employment law attorney to discuss your case and learn how they can help ensure your fair treatment.
