New York residents may have heard that Jill Abramson, former editor for the New York Times has been fired from her job. What they may not know, however, is that Abramson may have been the victim of retaliation after she complained about the pay gap between herself as a woman and a former male editor.
Abramson confronted her employer after learning that she was earning much less than the male editor before her. Reportedly, this act was deemed “pushy” by her employer, and she was let go from her job. The New York Times, however, maintains that her allegations are simply not true, and that — just like other workers for the New York Times — her pension is based on her time with the company.
Although it remains to be seen just how this situation will play out, pay gaps between workers of different genders are a serious issue. Employees have the right to be paid fairly. In addition, workers should not feel that their job security will be threatened if they file a complaint with their employer. This is known as retaliation.
Employees are protected from gender-based pay discrimination by the federal Equal Pay Act. Employees can file a claim showing that two people of the opposite gender, that work for the same employer, doing the same tasks are being paid different wages or salaries. Employees may also want to file a provisional claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Filing claims with government agencies may seem daunting. Fortunately, there are professionals available to help employees in these situations. By understanding their rights, employees who are victims of pay and gender discrimination may be able to pursue the best course of action possible.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Was Jill Abramson Fired After Complaining About Pay Discrimination?,” Jack Mirkinson, May 14, 2014
