April 26, 2019
Welcome to part three of a four part series outlining HR trends impacting employers in 2019. To read part one,click here. To read part two, click here.
Employers will see increased scrutiny around any wage gap in the workforce and any discriminatory factors that contribute to that gap.
According to SHRM, on average, “women earn 79 cents for every dollar men earn, and for black and Hispanic women, that number is even less—64 and 55 cents, respectively.”
This wage gap has stubbornly persisted in spite of Federal and state regulations (including the Equal Pay Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Minnesota Human Rights Act and Wisconsin’s Fair Employment Law).
Frustration with the lack of progress in closing gaps has spurred increased scrutiny and attempts at resolution. For example, every Minnesota employer must comply with the Wage Disclosure Protection law and allow employees to voluntarily discuss wages without retaliation.
Minnesota employers that provide an Employee Handbook must include a notice of employee rights and remedies under this law. The general idea behind the law is that if employees are prohibited from discussing wages, they will never know if a disparity exists.
Other states, such as California and Oregon, are attempting to tackle the issue with laws banning employers from asking job applicants about their past or current salary; a trend that is likely to continue.
In fact, in March 2019 the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7). If the bill is ultimately signed into law, it will prohibit employers from asking job applicants about their salary history and require proof that pay disparities between men and women are based on legitimate job-related factors.
Expect that increased demands for pay transparency and pressure to eliminate pay gaps will continue to create headlines in 2019. Savvy employers will not wait and, instead, will be proactive in efforts to identify and eliminate any pay gaps.
Thanks for reading! Tune in next week for part four of the series.
HR Trends. Looking for More HR Tips and Tools?
Ask about our half-day, full-day and multi-day training options. Check out our online modules here.
Reach out for a free and confidential consultation at info@audacityhr.com.
About the Author
HR thought leader, Stacy Johnston, provides innovative HR solutions with a mission to support organizations in understanding and engaging their biggest competitive advantage… their employees. Johnston writes and speaks about contemporary HR topics. She is a licensed attorney and holds the SHRM-CP and PHR credentials.
About Audacity LLC: HR Consulting
Audacity LLC’s passion is HR. They help organizations build peace of mind, dial in productivity and enhance employee engagement by creating agile HR solutions that align with mission and core values. Comprehensive solutions include tips and tools to effectively recruit, hire, onboard and retain an engaged and skilled workforce. They help organizations build strong, cohesive and inclusive teams and develop mindful leaders at all levels. Bold and innovative Human Resource solutions save valuable time and money.
Let US focus on HR while YOU focus on what you do best ~ building your organization and serving your mission! From HR policies, employee handbooks and training to recruiting, hiring, onboarding and performance management. Let our expertise be your guide!
Cover Photo credit: Image by Jan Vasek from Pixabay.
Input your search keywords and press Enter.
Sign up for our newsletters and never miss an HR update!
