BOSTON — Lawmakers are moving to shrink the wage gap between men and Women in Massachusetts, but some Business Groups say the legislation is unnecessary and could expose companies to costly discrimination lawsuits.
Last week, the state Senate unanimously passed a measure that prohibits private employers from asking about a job candidate’s salary history. It also creates a definition of “comparable work” to ensure similar jobs get equitable pay.
The Bill, now headed to the House of Representatives, also requires companies to post a minimum salary in job ads and to allow workers to talk about their pay without fear of being demoted or fired. Companies are "encouraged" to review payrolls regularly to determine if men and women's wages match up.
The proposal won Broad, bipartisan support.
“Pay disparity is an incredibly important issue, and it is our moral obligation to address the long-standing gaps in wages and earning power of women in the workforce,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester.
Women working full-time in Massachusetts earn 82 cents for every dollar a man earns, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The disparity is slightly less than the national average, estimated at 79 cents to the dollar.
But those figures are challenged by Associated Industries of Massachusetts and other Business groups, who argue that the data is misleading and government intervention isn't the answer.
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