EEOC’s Pilot Project to Combat Wage Discrimination

In what’s been called a “radical departure” from its historic enforcement of the Equal Pay Act, the EEOC is now directly targeting employers for compensation audits. The National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force recommended that the EEOC begin agency-driven investigations of employer pay practices, rather than waiting for a charge of discrimination. The result of this recommendation? The launch of the EEOC’s Equal Pay Act Directed Investigation Pilot Project. Three EEOC district offices – New York, Chicago and Phoenix – are actively participating in the project.

In this episode, we talk about the EEOC’s Directed Investigation Pilot Project with Katharine Parker and Leslie Silverman. We discuss what we do – and don’t – know about the project, what the project could mean for future enforcement efforts by the EEOC, and why employers should conduct a proactive compensation self-audit. We also talk about some practical things employers can do right now to prepare for increased scrutiny of their compensation policies and practices.