A Maryland effort to close the pay gap between men and women hit a roadblock Wednesday, as state senators couldn’t agree on a provision to allow those who believe they have been paid unfairly to sue their employers.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Susan Lee, Montgomery Democrat, would prevent employer discrimination in pay and employment based on gender identity and would not allow businesses to punish employees who discuss their salaries.
Some senators took issue with a provision that would allow workers or former employees to sue their employer within three years of discovering their pay inequity. This means that workers in a company for 15 years who realize they had been paid less than a similarly employed co-worker would have three years to file a lawsuit.
Sen. H. Wayne Norman, Cecil Republican, argued the provision would end up harming small businesses. He said that current law requires companies to hold employment records for seven years, after which they can be discarded. Employers would feel the need to preserve all records in case of a future suit, an expensive task for smaller businesses, Mr. Norman said.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Anjali Shastry over at the Washington Times