Index
New Jersey Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act
Summary
New Jersey possesses one of the most aggressive equal pay laws in the country, prohibiting unequal pay for 'substantially similar' work across ALL protected classes, not just gender.
Rights & Rules
- 01.An employer cannot pay you less than a coworker for doing substantially similar work if the difference is based on your race, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected class.
- 02.'Substantially similar work' means jobs that require similar skill, effort, and responsibility; you do not have to have the exact same job title to be compared to a coworker.
- 03.If an employer is caught violating the law, they cannot simply lower the higher-paid employee's salary to make things equal; they MUST raise your salary.
- 04.Employers cannot retaliate against you for asking coworkers about their pay.
Penalties
- 01.If you win an equal pay lawsuit in NJ, you can recover up to SIX YEARS of back pay (double the federal limit), plus treble (triple) damages, meaning the employer pays you 3x what they stole.
Verified Citations
New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) N.J.S.A. 10:5-12(t)
Source"It shall be an unlawful employment practice... For an employer to pay any of its employees who is a member of a protected class at a rate of compensation, including benefits, which is less than the rate paid by the employer to employees who are not members of the protected class for substantially similar work..."