If you believe you are or have been discriminated against because of gender or race, a new law is about to be enacted that will help you recover damages.
Congress gave final approval on Tuesday to a civil rights bill providing women, blacks and Hispanics with powerful new tools to challenge pay discrimination in the workplace. It is likely to be the first significant legislation signed by President Obama. The chief sponsor of the bill, Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, offered this advice to employers: “If you don’t want to be sued, don’t discriminate.”
In many cases, women and minorities do not realize they are being paid less than their counterparts (men, opposite race, etc.) until years after the discrimination began. At many companies, workers do not openly discuss their salaries, and pay disparities grow gradually over many years. The new law will help you recover what should have rightfully paid to you.
Under existing law, a victim of discrimination can recover up to two years of back pay. The House passed a related bill this month that would allow women to get compensatory and punitive damages for violations of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which generally requires equal pay for equal work. Those provisions are not included in the legislation being sent to the president.
If you believe you have sustained injuries in Memphis or West Tennessee at the result of a company, contact us for help:
