Equal Pay Protections
The Equal Pay Act of 1964 made it illegal to pay employees different wages based on their sex. In addition, the National Labor Relations Act says that employers cannot prevent employees from discussing wages and other issues. And in 2009, Congress passed, and President Obama signed, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which amends the 1964 Civil Rights Act to state that the 180-day statute of limitations for filing an equal pay lawsuit resets with each new paycheck affected by that discriminatory action. Nevertheless, the gap between men’s and women’s wages has persisted. Although the wage gap varies by State and…