Working is necessary to live. However, sometimes it is hard to go to work day in and day out when one feels his or her efforts are underappreciated or that his or her time is less valuable than someone else’s. Unfortunately, pay inequality is a real concern in Colorado and elsewhere, and it is a form of employment discrimination.
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, employees for the same company who perform equal work are to be provided equal pay. This does not just cover income level; it also extends to all the benefits the company offers. An employer is not permitted to lower wages and reduce benefits in order to level the playing field.
Those who believe that they are not being appropriately compensated for their efforts based on their gender or any other discriminatory reason has every right to question it and pursue relief for their resulting losses. In order to do this, though, one must file the necessary legal claim in the appropriate time frame. The statute of limitations on compensation discrimination claims is two years. If it is deemed a willful violation, it can be stretched to three years.
Everyone wants to know that they are valued. Learning that a fellow employee gets paid more for doing the same job can be disheartening. Colorado residents who feel that they are dealing with compensation-related employment discrimination do not have to stand by and take it. An experienced employment law attorney can review one’s case, and if it is deemed appropriate, legal actions can be taken in an effort to pursue damages.
Source: eeoc.gov, “Equal Pay and Compensation Discrimination“, Accessed on July 18, 2017