(The Center Square) – Women in Pennsylvania may soon benefit from new protections that prioritize wage transparency and change the way maternity leave impacts earning potential.
And, it would apply to hourly minimum wage workers too.
The legislation approved along party lines in the House of Representatives on Monday would amend the Equal Pay Act to ban sex and race discrimination, as well as mandate equivalent pay for “comparable” work.
Employees who take family or medical leave wouldn’t lose seniority designed to keep their pay on par with their colleagues, either.
It’s an important distinction for working mothers, said bill co-sponsor Rep. Jenn O’Mara, D-Springfield, who earn 70 cents for every dollar paid to working fathers on average.
“This creates the harsh economic reality for some families that it makes more sense financially for a mother to sacrifice her career in order to save on child care expenses,” O’Mara said.
In 2022, federal data shows women
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