California starts implementation of Fair Pay Act; Seeks to diminish gender pay gap

New California act was established to allow fairness in challenging pay differences for women. The act is determined to diminish a long standing dispute regarding women and men distinction in salary between similar jobs. Moreover, it gained positive and negative comments from distinguished individuals.

Senate Bill 358 authored by Senator Hannah- Beth Jackson that ensures an equal wage to both genders with comparable distinctions in their jobs has been implemented last January 1, 2016. According to KQED, the act would be one of the toughest laws in the nation as it is making a statement as a testing ground for the wage fairness in the United States of America. The act itself aims to diminish some loopholes that allowed numerous employers to defend the wage disparate between the sexes. In simple words, it will be an aid to women in challenging the salary they get from a substantially similar job that men also do but they are getting more. Furthermore, the employees may also file lawsuits to confront the wage gap in other locations since the act is now on its testing grounds in California.

Since the California Fair Pay Act has been widely known due to the wage issues it will tackle, women speak up about the implementation. According to Christian Science Monitor, 2015 Oscar Best Actress, Patricia Arquette shared her thought about the law as an impending need to dislodge entrenched bias in the film industry. She stated that employers will be facing an essential turnaround changes before adding the statement "because they know for decades they have been paying unfairly." It is worth noting that her Oscar acceptance speech last February 2015 also focused on the gender equity which was a primary booster behind the law's passage. Though the actress is speaking from the film industry, many of the supporters hope that it will ripple and hit other industries and pay levels.

However, some critics didn't share the opinions of the law's positive supporters. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Causeway Capital Management founder, Sarah Ketterer stated that the law will only make the state that is known for regulation and red tape a harder place to do business. She added that though women earn 77 cents per dollar compared to men, some factors are needed to be included such as hours of work, choosing low-paying careers and the situations of rearing a child.

The California Fair Pay Act has started its implementation last January 1, 2016 and is aiming to give women rights to challenge the endured issues of gender wage differences. Supporters have been looking forward for execution of the law in different states and industries. Some have seen the law as a promising one to demolish disparate wages and others share a different perspective on its effects.

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California, California act, Fair Pay Act, Gender Equality, Patricia Arquette, New laws, california lawmakers, California Fair Pay Act, US gender gap

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