The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) amended the Fair Labor Standards Act to prevent unequal pay based on gender in jobs that require “equal skill, effort, and responsibility and which are performed under similar working conditions.” The Act fundamentally changed the nature of pay for women, which on average earned less than two-thirds of their male counterparts in 1963. Professional, administrative, and other white collar positions were excluded from the Act until being added in 1972 by the Educational Amendments. Plaintiffs have the burden of persuasion in an EPA claim to show the Defendant discriminated in pay according to the Act, and this burden can create difficult hurdles for the Plaintiff.
For more information on the EPA click here.
[Last updated in June of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]