Earlier today, this bill (see summary below) by Sen. Jennifer Wexton (D-Loudoun) was killed for the year in Senate Finance Committee, with 10 Republican men voting to “carry it over” until 2019 (see video below). Note that the bill had been reported from Senate Commerce and Labor unanimously – yes, unanimously! – on 1/22/18, but something changed since then apparently. Hmmmm…
Equal pay irrespective of sex. Amends the existing law requiring equal pay for equal work irrespective of sex to (i) prohibit unequal provision of benefits and privileges on the basis of sex; (ii) prohibit employers from punishing employees for sharing salary information with their coworkers; and (iii) authorize a court to award reasonable attorney fees and costs to an employee who substantially prevails on the merits in an action for wrongful withholding of wages or benefits and privileges. The measure also deletes the exemption for employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act from the Commonwealth’s prohibition on discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex.
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