April is Equal Pay Day. Discrepancies in salaries can be difficult to detect. If people aren’t aware of who’s making what, it’s hard to know when someone is being shortchanged.
According to a new report conducted by the National Partnership for Women & Families, the average Florida working women make 85 cents for every dollar a man makes.
The U.S. House passed The Paycheck Fairness Act on March 28, which aims to amend the equal pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and the Equal Pay Act of 1963.
The bill would ban employers from asking job applicants how much they previously made, prohibit companies from retaliating against workers who share wage information and increase penalties for equal-pay violations.
The American Association of University Women has a webinar to help women and men become better salary negotiators. PayScale also has webinars to help both employees and employers close the wage gap.
“Anyone can go online and take a course in salary negotiation, and the parts of that are being aware of what the pay standards are in your area, being aware of the way to negotiate to put yourself forward as someone who is going to be valuable to the company,” said Patricia DeWitt, director for public policy with AAUW of Florida, during Tuesday's First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross.
To help women on the First Coast, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry's Commission on the Status of Women will host its second annual information and networking event, called (Un) Happy Hour, Tuesday, April 2, 2019, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Moxie Kitchen & Cocktails at 4972 Big Island Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32246. Participants are asked to wear Red.
More Events
- Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women meeting, April 22, 2019, 4:30 p.m. 214 North Hogan Street, 7th Floor Jacksonville, FL 32202 Ed Ball Building - Room 721. All meetings are open to the public.
- Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women will host Dr. Mary Gatta - Aging into Poverty, Thursday, April 25, 2019, 5 p.m. to 7:30 City Hall at St James Building 117 W. Duval Street 1st Floor, Lynwood Roberts Room Jacksonville, Florida 32202.
Amanda Brannon can be reached at newsteam@wjct.org, 904-358-6317.
Photo used under Creative Commons license.
