When wage and hour cases are discussed in San Diego and across California, people might automatically assume it relates to hourly workers who are not getting what they are supposed to get under the law. It can even extend to tipped employees and overtime. However, people who work in any type of job—regardless of their education level and whether it is blue or white collar—can be confronted with wage disputes.
One type of wage problem is being paid less than those who are of similar qualifications and experience and are doing the same job. This impacts a range of people and often shows that women, people of color and others are paid less for no justifiable reason. A new law is set to prevent that.
California law set to go into effect will address wage transparency
To ensure workers are aware of what their colleagues and prospective colleagues are set to earn when jobs are posted, Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill for wage transparency. It will go into effect in the new year. With it, employers will need to detail the salary when listing a job. The employees will be compensated in the same wage range as those who are already employed and have the same job description.
The objective is to prevent employers from randomly deciding to give some employees less pay than others. Statistically, women in the state get 88 cents for every dollar a man earns. For people of color, the disparity is worse.
Experts in the staffing industry say that this could have a positive effect on many employees with higher salaries due to the newfound information. Still, there is nuance with job descriptions and titles and employers might try to use various strategies to protect themselves by introducing subtle differences to what amounts to the same job.
For any wage and hour issue, legal advice can be imperative
Although this requirement is not effective until Jan. 1, 2023, it is important for employees and those who are looking for work to understand it. It could help them with being paid what they should be compared with colleagues and others trying to get a job.
Wage and hour disputes vary. People who are mistreated and subjected to labor law violations must know that they have rights. Many are fearful that they will be penalized for speaking out, but employers should be held accountable when they break the law and do not pay employees what they are legally required to pay. Those who suspect or have proof that they did not get the wages they were supposed to should have the case assessed by professionals to determine which path to take.