This includes if you are transgender or gender nonconforming (including identifying as nonbinary). Under state anti-discrimination law, your employer may not discriminate against you because of your actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Is it legal for an employer to pay me less because of my sexual orientation or gender identity? That means that it may not be important that there are some small differences in your job duties or your level of experience. If a significant portion of your job is identical to that of your coworker(s), you may be protected by the California Equal Pay Act. “Substantially similar work” is work of equal skill, effort, and responsibility and performed under similar working conditions. You do not have to have the exact same job or same job title. How do I know if I do “substantially similar work” as my coworkers? In other words, your race or ethnicity had to be your employer’s motivation for paying you less. Under these laws, however, you must show that the employer offered you unequal pay because of your race or ethnicity. State and federal law also prohibit employers from discriminating because of race or ethnicity, including paying you less because of your race or ethnicity. It is illegal to offer unequal pay for equal work, even if your employer did not intend to pay you less because of your race or ethnicity. Under this law, you are entitled to equal pay for equal work regardless of your employer’s motivations. Under California equal pay law, your employer may not pay you less than a co-worker of another race or ethnicity when you are doing substantially similar work. No, the law requires equal pay for equal work. Is it legal for an employer to pay me less because of my race or ethnicity? In other words, your sex had to be your employer’s motivation for paying you less. Under these laws, however, you must show that the employer offered you unequal pay because of your sex. In addition, state and federal anti-discrimination laws prohibit employers from discriminating because of sex, including paying you less because of your sex. In other words, it is illegal to offer unequal pay for equal work, even if your employer did not intend to pay you less because of your sex. You are entitled to equal pay for equal work regardless of your employer’s motivations.

Under federal and state equal pay laws, your employer may not pay you less than a co-worker of another sex when you are doing substantially similar work. Is it legal for an employer to pay me less than my co-worker of a different sex?

Equal pay for equal work act