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Connecticut Passes Pay Equity Bill


On May 22, 2018, Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed the Pay Equity Act (the “Act”) into law. The Act protects the right of employees to share wage information and prohibits employers from inquiring about prospective employees’ wage and salary history. The Act, which is similar to other pay equity acts recently passed in other states, promotes fairness for all employees and prospective employees, regardless of gender, and is specifically designed to eliminate pay gender gaps.

Under the Act, employers are prohibited from the following:

  • Preventing employees from voluntarily discussing wages with other employees.
  • Preventing employees from inquiring about the wages of another employee.
  • Requiring employees to sign waivers limiting their right to discuss wages or inquire about wages of other employees.
  • Inquiring or directing a third party to inquire about a prospective employee’s wage and salary history, unless a prospective employee voluntarily discloses such information.
  • Disciplining or discriminating against any employee who discusses the amount of his or her wages or the wages of another employee that have been disclosed voluntarily or inquires about the wages of another employee.

Prior attempts to pass pay equity legislation in Connecticut had stalled, largely due to lack of consensus on whether the law should contain a ban on inquiring about a prospective employee’s wage history. This spring, however, the bill quickly passed the House and Senate. Although the Act allows an employer to ask about other elements of a prospective employee’s compensation structure (e.g., stock options), the employer may not ask about their value.

The Act will become effective on January 1, 2019 and will allow employees and prospective employees to bring a lawsuit within two years after an alleged violation. Under the Act, employers can be liable for compensatory damages, attorney’s fees and costs, punitive damages, and any legal and equitable relief the court deems just and proper.


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This is the latest development on the growing trends in pay equity law. For any questions, please contact the Hinckley Allen attorney with whom you regularly work, or one of our Labor & Employment attorneys.

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