Breaking the Glass Ceiling: The Evolving Pay Equity Landscape
From Hollywood to the White House, the issue of wage gaps is a hot topic. The idea of “equal pay for equal work” has been the law for decades but disparities persist, and a renewed focus on pay equity is creating new laws and regulations in states around the country. Legislative efforts in California, New York, Massachusetts, and others are introducing the idea of pay equity—equal pay for different but “comparable” jobs—that will require you to look at your basis for establishing pay scales for entire categories of employees. When employers are sued over pay issues, they are often shocked at what they learn about their existing practices. Issues of unconscious bias—prejudicial mental shortcuts unwittingly made based on outdated social norms and stereotypes—often inform the basis of these practices. This session will address practical steps you can take come into compliance with new pay equity laws while there is still time.
Cheryl Pinarchick
Cheryl Pinarchick is a partner in the Boston office of Fisher & Phillips, LLP and a founding Co-Chair of the firm’s Pay Equity Practice Group. She represents employers in all areas of employment law, with a particular focus on helping employers navigate and comply with rapidly changing pay equity laws across the country.
Cheryl has extensive experience defending employers in cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States. She also routinely counsels U.S. and foreign-based companies on compliance with state and federal law and litigation avoidance.
Cheryl Behymer
Cheryl Behymer is a Partner in the Columbia office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Pay Equity Practice Group, as well as the Affirmative Action and Federal Contract Compliance Practice Group.
Cheryl assists employers with compliance and defends employers who are responding to administrative charges, actively involved in litigation, or are participating in compliance reviews conducted by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.
Cheryl is a frequent presenter on pay equity, compensation, affirmative action, and harassment legal issues. She is also past chair of the South Carolina Diversity Council, a committee of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.
Kathleen McLeod Caminiti
Kathie Caminiti is a partner in the firm's New Jersey and New York offices, and co-chair of the Pay Equity practice group. She has extensive experience handling employment litigation matters, having successfully defended cases alleging civil rights violations, race, sex, age and handicap discrimination, sexual harassment, whistle-blowing, wrongful discharge and retaliation. Kathie currently is the lead counsel on a number of nationwide class and collective actions and has obtained favorable outcomes for clients in various wage and hour matters, including class and collective actions arising under the FLSA and various state laws.