When Can (and Should) You File an Equal Pay Claim in New York?
In New York, employees have the right to equal pay for substantially similar work. While employers are allowed to make pay-related decisions based on seniority and certain other factors, they are not allowed to pay employees less simply because they are members of a minority group or another “protected class.” As a result, if you are being paid less than your coworkers and there isn’t a clear (and legal) reason why, you could have an equal pay claim. New York’s equal pay protections are significantly broader than those afforded by the federal Equal Pay Act, and this means that more employees in New York can file equal pay claims under more circumstances.
