People in New York who suspect that they are victims of pay discrimination might find the issues in a recent lawsuit brought forward by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to be familiar. Representing a woman who worked as a sales representative for a concrete liner company, the commission claimed that the employer violated the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The company allegedly required the female employee to sell more than a male employee in the same position in order to earn the same level of commission pay. Additionally, her base pay before commission was lower than the pay for the male co-worker.
The lawsuit arose after the EEOC could not reach an out-of-court settlement with the company. Now that the lawsuit has been filed, the commission wants the company to compensate the woman for back pay and liquidated damages. The lawsuit also asks for injunctive relief to stop discrimination at the company as well as punitive damages.
When a worker believes that an employer is engaging in unfair pay practices, the services of an attorney might provide answers. The person could explain to the attorney what is occurring at work, and the attorney could research the legality of compensation methods and calculations. Investigations could include asking the employer for payroll records and collecting testimony from other workers. Initial communications conducted by the attorney could outline which laws have been broken. This effort could prompt the employer to correct payroll problems and offer the client a settlement. If this approach does not resolve the problem, the lawyer could prepare a lawsuit to address the disputes.