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2018 HB 5386: An Act Concerning Pay Equity.
Bill Text
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 31-40z of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018):
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Employer" means any individual, corporation, limited liability company, firm, partnership, voluntary association, joint stock association, the state and any political subdivision thereof and any public corporation within the state using the services of one or more employees for pay;
(2) "Employee" means any individual employed or permitted to work by an employer; and
(3) "Wages" means compensation for labor or services rendered by an employee, whether the amount is determined on a time, task, piece, commission or other basis of calculation.
(b) No employer shall:
(1) Prohibit an employee from disclosing or discussing the amount of his or her wages or the wages of another employee of such employer that have been disclosed voluntarily by such other employee;
(2) Prohibit an employee from inquiring about the wages of another employee of such employer;
(3) Require an employee to sign a waiver or other document that denies the employee his or her right to disclose or discuss the amount of his or her wages or the wages of another employee of such employer that have been disclosed voluntarily by such other employee;
(4) Require an employee to sign a waiver or other document that denies the employee his or her right to inquire about the wages of another employee of such employer;
(5) (6) Discharge, discipline, discriminate against, retaliate against or otherwise penalize any employee who discloses or discusses the amount of his or her wages or the wages of another employee of such employer that have been disclosed voluntarily by such other employee; or
(6) (7) Discharge, discipline, discriminate against, retaliate against or otherwise penalize any employee who inquires about the wages of another employee of such employer.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any employer or employee to disclose the amount of wages paid to any employee.
(d) An action to redress a violation of subsection (b) of this section may be maintained in any court of competent jurisdiction by any one or more employees or prospective employees. An employer who violates subsection (b) of this section may be found liable for compensatory damages, attorney's fees and costs, punitive damages and such legal and equitable relief as the court deems just and proper.
(e) No action shall be brought for any violation of subsection (b) of this section except within two years after such violation.
(f) In a civil action alleging a violation of subsection (b) of this section, an employer may file a motion in any court of competent jurisdiction to disallow an award of compensatory and punitive damages. The court shall grant the motion if the employer demonstrates, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the employer (1) completed, within three years before the date that the employee filed such action, an equal pay analysis of the employer's pay practices in good faith that was reasonable in detail and scope in light of the size of the employer; and (2) eliminated the wage differentials for the plaintiff. If the court grants the motion, the court may award back pay only for the two-year period immediately preceding the filing of the action and may award costs and reasonable attorney's fees, but may not award compensatory or punitive damages. Evidence of an equal pay analysis undertaken in accordance with this subsection shall be inadmissible in any other proceeding.
Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 31-75 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018):
(b) If an employee can demonstrate that his or her employer discriminates on the basis of sex by paying wages to employees at the employer's business at a rate less than the rate at which the employer pays wages to employees of the opposite sex at such business for equal work on a job, the performance of which requires equal skill, effort and responsibility, and which are performed under similar working conditions, such employer must demonstrate that such differential in pay is made pursuant to (1) a seniority system, provided time spent on leave due to a pregnancy-related condition or protected family and medical leave shall not reduce seniority; (2) a merit system; (3) a system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production; or (4) a differential system based upon a bona fide factor other than sex, such as education, training or experience. Said bona fide factor defense shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor (A) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation, and (B) is job-related and consistent with business necessity. Such defense shall not exist where the employee demonstrates that an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential and that the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice.