Malloy signs pay equity bill

New law designed to close the gender gap

Flanked by supporters including dozens of women, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Tuesday signed a bill designed to help close the gender pay gap.

“Even as they work harder and harder, the pay gap between men and women who are doing the same job continues to grow — particularly among women of color, and that is completely unacceptable,” Malloy said before signing bipartisan legislation passed by the General Assembly.

“Our work to make sure that women and people of color are paid equally for their work must continue every year in the Legislature and every day as we work toward a culture of equality,” Malloy said.

Called the pay equity bill, the new law prevents employers from asking job candidates about their salary history before extending them an offer. Supporters say that question often results in lower starting pay for women and people of color.

In 2016, Connecticut women made 79 cents on the dollar compared to men, according to the National Women’s Law Center. Over a lifetime, women made $529,160 less than their male counterparts, on average.

Connecticut became the fifth state in the nation to enact similar legislation.

“This was a bipartisan effort and it gives me tremendous pleasure and fervent hope that we are heading in the right direction,” said state Rep. Robyn Porter, D-New Haven.

“I’m a firm believer that you get what you pay for,” Porter said.

“This is not a bill that just supports women; it’s about families and communities and leveling a playing field. I think it’s important to build people up.”

State Rep. Derek Slap, D-West Hartford, said he has had difficult discussions with his own daughters over pay.

“We tell our daughters they can be anything they want when they grow up, and if we’re honest we also warn them that it’s likely they will be unfairly paid their entire career,” Slap

said. “This law will make a real difference by prohibiting the perpetual lowballing of women in the workplace.”

State Department of Labor Commissioner Scott Jackson said the bill will benefit women and families.

“Wage equity will not only help to ensure that women receive the paycheck they deserve, but we also know that when family incomes increase, the benefits are also felt by our communities and the economy,” Jackson said.

Kate Farrar, executive director of the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund, said pay equity is important for the entire state.

“Pay equity for women is critical to Connecticut’s success — when women succeed, Connecticut prospers,” Farrar said.

In 2015, Connecticut prohibited “pay secrecy” — a practice used by employers to forbid workers from voluntarily revealing their own compensation information

among each other. Supporters of the law said the secrecy was a hindrance to pinpointing pay discrimination.