Equal Pay
Washington State has one of the worst wage gaps in the country, discriminating against women, people of color, and the LGBT community. The EOI-led Equal Pay and Opportunity Act went into effect on June 7, 2018, ending pay secrecy policies and requiring employers to provide job-related reasons for differences in pay and opportunity.
The new rights granted under this act protect and support workers as they identify wage discrimination and advocate for their deserved pay and opportunity. Coming into effect on January 1, 2020, Paid Family and Medical Leave in will further challenge the gender wage gap by guaranteeing women 12 weeks of paid leave for pregnancy and childbirth.
These added and upcoming protections support workers’ rights to equal pay and opportunity, and will push the Washington wage gap toward equity.