Developments in Equal Pay Litigation

© 2021 Seyfarth Shaw LLP Developments in Equal Pay Litigation | v TABLE OF CONTENTS EQUAL PAY LEGISLATION..................................................................................................................1 A. The Federal Equal Pay Act And Title VII ...............................................................................1 B. State Equal Pay Legislation ...................................................................................................2 C. State And Local Pay Equity Initiatives ...................................................................................3 1. State And Local Salary History Bans............................................................................3 2. State And Local Pay Transparency Initiatives ..............................................................5 CASE LAW DEVELOPMENTS IN 2020 AND EARLY 2021 .................................................................7 A. Proving The Prima Facie Case ..............................................................................................7 1. Establishing A Wage Disparity......................................................................................7 2. Showing That Work Is “Equal” Or “Substantially Similar”...........................................12 B. Significant Class And Collective Action Decisions...............................................................18 1. Recent Cases Involving Collective Action Certification ..............................................18 2. Recent Cases Involving Class Action Certification.....................................................22 C. Disproving Discrimination: Employers’ Affirmative Defenses ..............................................24 1. Proving A Factor Other Than Sex...............................................................................25 2. The Use Of Salary History As A Legitimate Factor Other Than Sex..........................28 3. Other Affirmative Defenses.........................................................................................32 4. Pretext .........................................................................................................................33 D. Other Important Substantive Decisions Impacting Pay Equity Litigation.............................36 1. Retaliation Claims: Establishing The Causal Link ......................................................36 2. Arbitration Agreements ...............................................................................................38 3. Proving An “Establishment” ........................................................................................42 4. Who Is An “Employer” Under The EPA? ....................................................................43 5. Statute Of Limitations And Willfulness Issues ............................................................46 DEVELOPMENTS IN EEOC ENFORCEMENT OF EQUAL PAY ACT CLAIMS................................47