On Equal Pay Day, Ayotte Calls for Passage of GAP Act

Press Release

On Equal Pay Day, US Senator Kelly Ayotte is vowing to continue her efforts to pass legislation she introduced to combat gender-based pay discrimination. The Gender Advancement in Pay (GAP) Act is based on New Hampshire's bipartisan equal pay law and makes clear that employers must pay men and women equal wages for equal work, without reducing the opportunity for employers to reward merit

"Women face many challenges in balancing work and family life, and no woman should face gender-based pay discrimination in the workplace. On Equal Pay Day, I am continuing my fight to make sure women and men receive equal pay for equal work," said Senator Ayotte. "That's why I'm calling on my colleagues to pass my legislation, the GAP Act, which is based on New Hampshire's bipartisan pay equity law. The GAP Act strengthens our equal pay laws and gives employees the knowledge and tools they need to combat wage inequality."

Ayotte's measure builds on New Hampshire's bipartisan pay equity law that was enacted in July 2014, but goes even further by establishing civil penalties for employers who violate the law. Following discussion with business leaders and stakeholders in the state, Ayotte introduced an updated version of the bill this week that includes stronger provisions for salary transparency, and makes clear that employers cannot sidestep provisions that ban retaliation against employees who discuss their pay and prohibit pay secrecy policies.

The GAP Act is similar to an amendment Ayotte introduced in 2014 during debate on the Paycheck Fairness Act, but was blocked from consideration by Senate Democrats.

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