Discrimination can come in many forms, and there are many reasons that workers suffer discrimination. One form that workplace discrimination takes place is through wages and by workers being paid less than their counterparts with the same skills and experience for performing the same duties.
Unfortunately, discrimination in the workplace continues to take place through paying some workers less. If you believe that you are being paid less because of your gender, you may be able to file a workplace discrimination claim against your employer. You can recover compensation for your damages through your workplace discrimination claim.
Equal Pay For Equal Work
Title VII makes it illegal to discriminate against a worker because of their gender when paying wages or offering benefits. Someone who has a claim under Title VII may also pursue a claim under the Equal Pay Act.
Title VII covers all wages – which include salary as well as the benefits package. Depending on your employer, the benefits package may include life insurance, health insurance, profit sharing, retirement plans, and reimbursement for mileage and company expenses. So, your pay and benefits include much more than just your wage, whether it is hourly or weekly.
Equal Pay Act
There are laws in place to protect workers from discrimination based on gender, age, and other factors. The Equal Pay Act requires that men and women who are in the same workplace receive equal pay for equal work.
The law encompasses all forms of pay, including salary, overtime wages, vacation pay, life insurance, health insurance, profit sharing, stock options, reimbursement accounts, travel expenses, and any other benefits included with your employment.
If there is an inequality of wages paid between male and female workers, the wages of either sex cannot be reduced to equalize pay.
Instead, they must increase the wages of the individuals who are not being paid what they should, so the payrate is equalized and so that there is no wage discrimination because of gender. The goal of the claim is to put everyone on an equal playing field and to equalize pay and benefits.
Proving Wage Discrimination
It can be difficult to prove that you suffered wage discrimination because you are a woman. You will need to provide supporting evidence and documentation, so you can prove that your wages are less because you are a female.
The more documentation that you can provide to support your claim, the more likely you are to have a successful case against your employer.
You will need your employment contract, your employee handbook, paystubs, and other detailed documentation, such as evidence of your wages, your work history and experience, documentation so your wages can be compared to the wages of coworkers who perform the same job duties, as well as the benefit packages of coworkers in comparison to yours.
You should not be afraid to talk about salary with those that you work with, so you can find out if you are a victim of gender discrimination when it goes to paying wages and benefits.
You need to be aware of the situation and gather as much supporting evidence and documentation as you can to get your claim underway. If you are a victim of gender discrimination, odds are your employer has a pattern of such behavior and you could be helping others as well.
Speak With A Legal Professional
If you believe that you are a victim of gender discrimination and you are being paid less simply because you are a female, you should speak with an employment law attorney.
An attorney will help you through the process, gathering evidence and documentation to determine if you suffered gender discrimination at your place of employment.
Your lawyer will build your case and determine your damages. With an attorney representing you, you can increase your chances of having a successful claim and recovering your losses.
When you meet with an employment law attorney, be sure to discuss payment options. Some employment law attorneys take cases on a contingency basis and are not paid until you win your case while others charge a retainer and then charge an hourly rate.
There is a statute of limitations for pursuing a workplace gender discrimination claim, so you need to get your claim underway before it is too late to do so.
If you wait too long, your claim will be dismissed, and you cannot recoup your damages. Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form on this page today to share the details of your workplace discrimination claim with an employment law attorney near you.
