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One to Keep An Eye On: Equal Pay For Equal Work Act (Colorado)


As with many employment and labor law related cases (and bills) being litigated around the country, there are always a few that stand.  This is one to keep an eye on.


Last Wednesday, the Colorado Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Equal Pay For Equal Work Act which was recently introduced in the Colorado General Assembly.  Notably, this legislation would prohibit an employer in the state from discriminating between employees on the basis of sex (or on the basis of sex in combination with another protected status) by paying an employee of one sex a wage rate less than the wage rate paid to an employee of a different sex for substantially similar work.  (Exceptions are carved out, however, for seniority, merit, or a system that measures earnings by quantity or quality of product.). The bill would also require employers in the state to post salary ranges during the application process, ban retaliation for filing complaints, allow an easier path for lawsuits, and prohibit employers from asking applicants about their salary history.

After the hearing, the legislation advanced out of the Committee along a party line vote with the three Democrats on the Committee voting in favor while the two Republicans opposed.  With Democrats having majority control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, so long as they do not have many votes jump ship, I think it it highly probable that this legislation ends up passing.


For a copy of Senate Bill 19-085:  http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2019A/bills/2019a_085_01.pdf

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