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Preventing Pay Gaps

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The issue of pay disparities between workers based on everything from gender to race has become a huge talking point among employee advocacy groups. Although the United States began working toward pay equality with the Equal Pay Act, some people still feel that they are the victims of unwarranted pay gaps. In some cases, the pay gaps may be a result of discrimination. Pay gaps can occur due to oversights not yet put into place to ensure that every worker is compensated fairly.

How Do Pay Gaps Occur?

Pay gaps occur at a workplace for a variety of reasons, particularly if promotions are issued haphazardly. For example, startups may not have salary grades or systems in place. Instead, team members receive more money as the business becomes increasingly profitable. This type of arrangement may make sense for early stage businesses but can become a problem quickly as salary disparities begin to arise.

Strategies to Close Pay Gaps

Employers are implementing strategies to close pay gaps whenever possible. Their efforts help reduce potential employment discrimination and put all employees on a level playing field. One of the strongest methods of closing the pay gap is to systemize the salaries of everyone in a workplace. Having rules in place regarding salaries eliminates confusion. It can also give human resources personnel, executives, and managers peace of mind to know their parameters when onboarding or promoting.

Many organizations have a loose structure or offer titles that do not correspond with specific job descriptions. Tightening the organizational structure helps realign everyone. It also provides an opportunity to see if any gaps are currently keeping certain workers from earning what they deserve. Reducing inherent bias is also a means of keeping employers from using bias to deny qualified candidates the chance for promotion. Businesses can implement anti-bias techniques, such as rewriting job descriptions and advertisements, as well as taking gender and race-related information off resumes and applications for employment.

Many hiring managers eliminated asking job candidates what they made in their previous positions. Many advocates for pay equality claim that when hiring staff members know an applicant’s salary history, they lower their salary offer. This could keep someone from earning as much as a colleague who has the same level of responsibility.

What Can Employees Do?

Employees who are victims of a pay gap should first talk with their supervisors or human resources representatives about the problem. Discussions should be well-documented, with written answers, if possible. That way, if the employee needs to retain the services of an employment lawyer, the lawyer will be able to review the documents and potentially use them as evidence in the event of a lawsuit.

Cherry Hill Employment Lawyers at Sidney L. Gold & Associates, P.C. Fight for Clients Experiencing Pay Gaps

If you are concerned that your wages are reflecting a pay gap within your organization, talk to a Cherry Hill employment lawyer at Sidney L. Gold & Associates, P.C. For a free consultation, call us at 215-569-1999 or fill out an online form. Located in Pennsauken, New Jersey, we serve clients throughout South Jersey, including Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, Marlton, Moorestown, and Mount Laurel.

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