Equality between people is a cornerstone of our civilization. Giving every person equal rights is something that guarantees every person will have identical chances for success. Therefore, nobody is discriminated and everybody is entitled to the same rights and obligations that can help them succeed in this world of ours.
Every person knows that the world is a tricky place and that not many things are in our control. Therefore, we are not always able to act in our best interest. However, when you have a legal guarantee no individual and no institution will discriminate against you for whatever reason, then you have good chances of building the life you always dreamed about.
Naturally, that doesn’t mean that these discriminations are not possible sometimes. In that case, you would need to arm yourself with the help of a legal professional. If you need these services, you shouldn’t look further than Bibiyan Law Group.
A significant element of this cornerstone is the “Equal Pay Act of 1963 & Workplace Discrimination”. Today, we want to provide you with some information regarding this document.
How It Came to Be?
Every legal document has a string of occurrences that preceded it. Human civilization is a vibrant thing, and something always happens, no matter how steady it may seem on the surface. Therefore, nobody should be surprised by the fact that numerous things triggered the making of this act back in 1963.
The first step towards it was women becoming a part of the hirable workforce. In the period before that, a vast majority of women were housewives, who took care of the household and children. When they eventually become eligible to find employment, they weren’t equal to their husbands until 1963.
The reason why they weren’t equal to males in terms of salary was that they were included in the production too fast. It happened because men were drafted into the second world war. As you can see, the wage disparities occurred for almost 20 years after the war was finished. That’s why this action was needed.
What Discrimination Does This One Forbid?
Even though this document is quite long, some things are, let’s say, a highlight of the whole text. Probably the most important thing that it addresses is that males and females who have the same work position are entitled to an equal salary and additional benefits, like insurance or retirement plans.
Naturally, employers are obligated to provide all their workers with the same conditions. Sure, this doesn’t mean that some are not able to get a higher salary than others, but it means that everyone has the same chance to get to the position where they can expect a salary rise. Of course, this depends on a wide array of different things.
So, when this sort of discrimination occurs, those who have suffered it have a chance of taking legal action and defending their rights in front of the court. The process is pretty straightforward. Both parties will provide evidence that this has occurred, or in the case of an employer, that it hasn’t.
What are the Effects?
The effects of this act are pretty interesting. Sure, if you perceive them from the 21st century, then all it says looks like a no-brainer. However, every reader needs to remember that the “Equal Pay Act of 1963 & Workplace Discrimination” was released back in 1963. At that time, the situation at the work market was quite different.
One of the first effects was a decrease in the wage gap between males and females. But it needs to be said that it hasn’t been able to do it completely. That’s why politicians passed several laws in the future that made it possible for this gap to be as closed as it is in this day and age.
Besides this effect, it also helped women get much more rights in the workplace. We are talking about elements regarding pregnancy and all other relevant elements important for every women worker out there, and many of these clauses are crucial, and remain unchanged, to this day.
As a result of this act, we can see that numerous other similar documents were passed to reduce any sort of discrimination at work. A good example is an act that was passed just a year later after this one. That one protected all the worker’s rights, like race, religion, nationality, etc.
Other Entitlements
Even when an employer doesn’t provide all its workers, in the same position, with equal pay, that doesn’t immediately mean we are talking about discrimination. Sometimes, this can be a mistake made on the behalf of the managerial staff. So, you shouldn’t seek legal help immediately.
Instead, be sure to inform the employer about this happening, and see whether he or she is willing to provide you with equal rights as all others. A good example is when you are paid, let’s say, $15 per hour, and others in the team are paid $20. If that’s the case, you are entitled to an additional $5.
Besides the obvious things such as salary, every employee can receive things such as a promotion, a raise in hourly wage, the possibility to be re-hired, and payment for reasonable costs of an attorney and other costs that might pop up along the way. Therefore, you see that this act covers a lot of grounds.
The only thing you have to do is to read it and understand your rights properly. As we’ve already said, some people do not have the necessary education for this. That’s why they would need to hire someone to help them understand their rights, and what they mean in practical terms.
The Bottom Line
Being equal to your coworkers is more than just a word. It offers everyone the same chance of having a successful professional career. One of the documents that guarantee these entitlements is the “Equal Pay Act of 1963 & Workplace Discrimination”. Here, we’ve provided you with the most important elements you should know about this document.
