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"We've made great progress towards closing the wage gap, creating
equality and fairness in the workplace, and making sure that
everyone in Illinois is receiving equal pay for equal work. We need
to continue our efforts so all women who work hard to care for their
families can count on the same pay as their male colleagues who do
the same work," Blagojevich said.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, year-round, full-time
working women in 2004 earned only 77 percent of the earnings of
year-round, full-time working men, indicating little progress in pay
equity. To address this disparity, Blagojevich signed the Illinois
Equal Pay Act in April of 2003 to close the wage gap between men and
women, extending protections from gender-based pay discrimination to
an additional 330,000 workers.
"By signing the Equal Pay Act in 2003, Governor Blagojevich put
Illinois on the right track to solving the problem of unequal pay.
With continued enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, we are in a
good position to achieve equal pay in Illinois and throughout the
country," said Melissa Josephs, director of equal opportunity policy
at Women Employed.
Illinois' Equal Pay Act expanded the federal Equal Pay Act of
1963 by protecting thousands more workers from pay inequity,
providing better enforcement mechanisms and increasing public
awareness. The act also enhances the department's enforcement of the
statute by requiring employers to post a notice in their workplace
summarizing workers' rights under the act, and it provides for
stiffer penalties for those who violate the law.
Recently, the American Association of University Women
Educational Foundation report "Behind the Pay Gap" found that just
one year after college graduation, women earn less than men for
doing the same work, earning only 80 percent of what their male
counterparts earn. Even after accounting for factors known to affect
earnings, such as occupation, hours and parenthood, the study
indicates that one-quarter of the pay gap remains unexplained and is
likely due to sex discrimination. The unexplained portion of the pay
gap eventually grows over time, according to the study.
The governor and the Illinois Department of Labor launched an
aggressive Equal Pay Act awareness campaign in 2004 through which
they established a toll-free line, 1-866-EPA-IDOL; distributed an
estimated 40,000 "Equal Pay is the Law" posters to the largest
employers in the state as a required posting; displayed 3,000 "Equal
Pay is the Law" posters on buses and trains in the Chicago area,
with cooperation of the Chicago Transit Authority; and aired and
published public service announcements throughout the state of
Illinois.
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 The department also provided nearly 30 in-depth trainings to more
than 750 individuals representing public and private employers,
civic and community organizations, attorneys, human resource
professionals, payroll associations, and employee organizations.
Brief presentations on the Equal Pay Act were also included in 50
other department presentations that were attended by more than 1,700
individuals throughout the state. EPA literature and posters were
distributed at all of these presentations. The Department of Labor
continues to conduct training seminars statewide to remind employees
and employers of the law to help eliminate the wage differential
between men and women and create pay equity in the workplace.
Illinois' Equal Pay Act prohibits employers with four or more
employees from paying unequal wages to men and women doing the same
or substantially similar work requiring equal skill, effort,
responsibility and under similar working conditions. There are
exceptions, such as if the wage difference is based upon a seniority
system, merit system, a system measuring earnings by quantity or
quality of production, or factors other than gender. The law
protects both men and women from pay disparity, and any individual
who files an Equal Pay Act complaint is protected under the act from
harassment or retaliation. If an employer is found guilty of pay
discrimination, they will be required to make up the wage difference
to the employee and may be subject to pay legal costs and civil
fines of up to $2,500 per violation.
For more information on Illinois' Equal Pay Act or to file a
complaint, call the Illinois Department of Labor toll-free at
1-866-EPA-IDOL (1-866-372-4365). Complaint forms are also available
to download from
www.state.il.us/agency/idol.
"Since the governor signed the Equal Pay Act, the Illinois
Department of Labor has been able to recover thousands of dollars in
back wages for individuals who were not paid the same for doing the
same work as their co-worker because of gender," said Catherine
Shannon, director of the Illinois Department of Labor. "We will
continue to enforce the Equal Pay Act and create awareness to make
sure that employees are paid fairly and employers are aware of the
law."
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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