It is part of a larger architecture of fairness in wages known as the fair labor standards act flsa. Equal pay act john f kennedy was the 35th president who served in office from january 20,1961 to november 22, 1963. The act prohibits discrimination in the payment of wages and salary based on gender. Media in category equal pay act of 1963 the following 4 files are in this category, out of 4 total. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Everything you need to know about the equal pay act. It was signed into law on june 10, 1963, by john f. Equal pay for women was an issue that many felt was important. Equal pay act of 1963 legal definition of equal pay act of 1963. Throughout history women have been paid less than men even when employed in the same jobs.
Equal pay act of 1963 simple english wikipedia, the free. In 1963, congress passed the equal pay act as an amendment to the fair labor standards act, to prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers. The best resources on the equal pay act of 1963 mint. The equal pay act of 1963 is a united states labor law amending the fair labor standards act, aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex see gender pay gap. What ensued after a decadeslong fight was the equal pay act of 1963, signed into the nations employment laws by president john f. Even after 50 years, human resource departments are still deeply affected by the equal pay act of 1963 and have yet to overcome many obstacles preventing equal pay. Equal pay act of 1963 the equal pay act of 1963 is a u. The idea for the equal pay law arose during ww2, when many women entered the workforce while men were fighting overseas. The equal pay act epa was created as an amendment to the fair labor standards act, and. Kennedy on june 10, 1963, was one of the first federal antidiscrimination laws that addressed wage differences based on gender.
The act established the requirement that women should receive equal pay for equal work. Equal pay act of 1963 the equal pay act of 1963 established the requirements that women should receive equal pay for their amount of work. Pdf faculty title vii and equal pay act cases in the twentyfirst. President obama on the lilly ledbetter fair pay act and equal pay for all workers duration. Mar 20, 2020 the equal pay act of 1963 was an amendment to the united states fair labor standards act, which is the law that governs hiring, pay, and working conditions for the countrys employees. The act was instrumental in changing the thought process of americans at the time, and is responsible for supporting equal pay in the workplace. Equal pay act of 1963 legal definition of equal pay act of. Equal pay act facts for kids the following fact sheet contains interesting facts and information on equal pay act. Kennedy, who at that time was president of the united states. Learn equal pay act of 1963 with free interactive flashcards. Put plainly, a women shall receive the identical earnings as her male counterpart for the same job.
The purpose of equal pay act epa of 1963 is to prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employees engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce. In australias federal industrial legislation, the workplace relations act 1996, the term equal remuneration. Nov 14, 2018 how did the fight for equal pay evolve over a century of united states politics. The right of employees to be free from discrimination in their compensation is protected under several federal laws, including the following enforced by the u. Check your understanding of the equal pay act of 1963 with this interactive quiz. Equal pay act of 1963 the encyclopedia of human resource. The equal pay act epa was instituted in 1963 and was intended to prevent sex discrimination in wages. This form of discrimination became a common problem until the equal pay act of 1963 was implemented.
It also includes overtime pay, bonuses, and benefits like stock options, profit sharing, life. Article information, pdf download for the equal pay act. Equal pay act of 1963 by sydney dolores herring on prezi. Such alleged conduct violates the equal pay act of 1963 epa and title vii of the civil rights act of 1964.
This pay disparity between men and women exists even when women hold. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the equal pay act, signed into law by president john f. When the law was originally drafted, it called for equal pay for comparable work. This act aims at abolishing wage disparity based on sex. The history of this act was to end genderbased discrimination in labor wages. The equal pay act of 1963 is a united states labor law amending the fair labor standards act. Equal pay act 1963 1 equal pay act 1963 must pay males and females equal rates for the same job exemptions a merit system or a system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production or to employees who work in different locations, provided that such differences are not the result of an intention to discriminate because. The act was supposed to prevent gender discrimination with regards to employee wages.
However, the average wages given to women are still lower. It would be a violation if a male was paid less than a female, or a female paid less than a male because they were male or female. The epa, which is part of the fair labor standards act of 1938, as amended flsa, and which is administered and. Act of june 10, 1963 equal pay act of 1963, public law 8838, 77 stat 56, to prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, 610 1963.
Congress included within the text of the epa a clear and concise policy statement and briefly described the problems it was intended to remedy. Choose from 15 different sets of equal pay act of 1963 flashcards on quizlet. The national war labor board first advocated equal pay for equal work in 1942, and an equal pay act was proposed in 1945. Employers cannot pay different wages on the basis of gender for equal work on jobs the. In an effort to end genderbased discrimination in labor wages, congress enacted the equal pay act of 1963, pub. In 1963, congress passed the equal pay act, which made it illegal for employers to pay women lower wages than men for equal work on jobs requiring the same skill, effort and responsibility. Mar 09, 2018 how did the fight for equal pay evolve over a century of united states politics. The equal pay act was officially signed into law by president john f kennedy on june 10 th, 1963. It requires that men and women working for the same establishment be paid the same rate of pay for work that is substantially equal in skill, effort. The epa prohibits agencies from paying employees of one sex lower wages than those of the opposite sex for equal work performed under similar working conditions. Dec 21, 2018 complying with the equal pay act of 1963 is quite simple because the law itself is straightforward. The equal pay act of 1963 was influential in creating a progressive environment which would contribute to creating a fairer world for all.
Equal pay act, 1963 on the one hand are people who do not believe in the existence of the wage gap. The equal pay act epa prohibits sexbased wage discrimination. Australian women workers were granted equal pay in 1969. The act made it illegal to pay men and women working in the same place different salaries for similar work. People in different positions are affected differently, so you need to consider perspective when weighing the pros and cons of the act.
The equal pay act of 1963 states that men and women must be given equal pay for equal work in the same establishment. Signed by president kennedy in 1963 as an amendment to. The equal pay act is gender specific and says essentially that, all other things being equal experience, seniority, education, job performance a person cannot be paid less because of their gender. The epaprohibits sexbased wage discrimination between men and women in the same establishment who perform jobs that require substantially equal skill, effort and responsibility under similar. District court for the eastern district of pennsylvania after first attempting to reach a voluntary prelitigation settlement. The equal pay act of 1963throughout history, women have been paid less than men have, even when employed in identical jobs. The advantages and disadvantages of equal pay act depend on how you look at the changes made by the act. The principle was equal pay for equal work regardless of sex. Section 6 of the fair labor standards act of 1938, as amended 29. It prohibits wage disparity based solely on gender. What did the equal pay act of 1963 enshrine in law, and what effect did it have on u. Be it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the united states of america in congress assembled, that this act may be cited as the equal pay act of 1963. Check your understanding of the factors and details of the equal pay act with an interactive quiz and printable worksheet.
Act of june 10, 1963 equal pay act of 1963, public law. This law was put into effect on june 10 1963, by john f. Download free pdf order legisbrief subscription ncsl bookstore legisbriefs home page. For basic legal issues to more complex ones, youll. In short, the equal pay act epa prohibits pay discrimination based. The goal of the equal pay act of 1963 and the civil rights act of 1964 was to change this situation. According to the equal employment opportunity commission eeoc, its job content, not job titles, that determines if jobs are equal. Equal pay act of 1963 equal employment opportunity. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. The equal pay act of 1963 was an amendment to the united states fair labor standards act, which is the law that governs hiring, pay, and working conditions for the countrys employees. To prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce. The equal pay act is a labor law that prohibits genderbased wage discrimination in the united states.
Congress passed the civil rights act the next year. Facts about equal pay and compensation discrimination. It was generally accepted in the united states that men deserved to earn more money than women do, even if their work was identical. Use the following quiz and printable worksheet to find study. The following is the text of the equal pay act of 1963 pub. Pdf the everevolving nature of case law means that even as. The equal pay act of 1963 essay 1099 words 5 pages. Equal pay act claims, like title vii wage discrimination claims, rst require. This act made it illegal to pay men and women different wages for the same work. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title equal pay act. On june 10, 1963, president kennedy signed the equal pay act, as part of the fair labor standards act, into law. The equal pay act of 1963 is a federal law that amends the fair labor standards act.
Equal pay act of 1963 united states 1963 britannica. In a formal statement, president kennedy assured americans that the law was necessary to bring structure basic to democracy, providing. It mandates employers pay workers substantially equal pay for performing the same job regardless of their gender. The equal pay act, signed in to law by president john f. American association of university women members with president john f. Equal pay act of 1963 background of the equal pay act women started to replace the men off at wwii in the public workforce in 1942, nwlb encouraged equal pay for women in 1963, women were paid 59% of what men made to do the same job. Jul 01, 2014 equal pay act of 1963 this video gives an overview of the equal pay act of 1963. The equal pay act epa became law in 1963 as an amendment to the fair labor standards act flsa. Some say, at the current rate, women will not achieve equal pay until the year 2050. The equal pay act epa requires that all employees, regardless of gender, are given equal pay for equal work.