Feminists have worked for decades to address the gender wage gap. Since women began entering the workforce in significant numbers, they have consistently faced lower pay compared to their male counterparts.

Recent data from the team at Qualtrics reveals that while progress has been made in many regions across the country, some areas have seen setbacks. Their interactive map clearly illustrates where advancements have occurred and where challenges persist, highlighting states and counties with the most significant changes.

This type of data sheds light on critical social issues, helping us identify both successful strategies and areas that require urgent attention.

[Click image for full size version]

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• Timeline of Gender Pay Gap in the United States
• California’s Gender Wage Gap
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The post Which U.S. Counties (and States) Closed Gender Pay Gap the Most Over the Past 10 Years? appeared first on Law Office of Lauren Abrams.

Legislation such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963 has made progress toward reducing this disparity, yet it is clear that more needs to be done. This issue is complex, with numerous factors contributing to the wage gap, but analyzing data like this can assist us in achieving true equality.

Learn more in the following infographic via Qualtrics

[Click image for full size version]

You might also like…

• California’s Gender Wage Gap
• The Global Pandemic – Widening the Gender Pay Gap

The post Timeline of Gender Pay Gap in the United States appeared first on Law Office of Lauren Abrams.

In no particular order, here are some of the California laws taking effect in 2025 that may impact your rights.

Paid Family Leave Expansion

Under AB 2123, employers can no longer require employees to use their accrued vacation time before accessing the state’s Paid Family Leave Program. Previously, employers could require employees to take up to two weeks of vacation time before accessing the leave.

The state-run program provides benefits to people taking time off to care for a family member, spend time with a new child or assist military family members under active duty.

Fertility Treatments Will Be Covered By Insurance

Starting in July 2025, individuals needing fertility treatments will be covered by insurance if they’re part of a large group health plan. (In California, large group health plans must have over 100 employees.) Procedures for “the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services” will be covered, to open up costly treatments like in vitro fertilization to more Californians. For individuals struggling with fertility issues, procedures like IVF can be prohibitively expensive, running into the tens of thousands of dollars.

“It’s simple: everyone who wants to should be able to start a family — without going broke,” Gov. Newsom said. Access will also be expanded to LGBTQ+ families. This law takes effect on July 1, 2025.

No License Needed

Come 2025, job postings can’t require that applicants have a valid driver’s license anymore — unless your potential employer believes you’ll actually need to drive as part of the job.

Also, the employer needs to reasonably believe that you cannot carry out the job’s duties using an alternate form of transportation.

Advocates of the law said that requiring a driver’s license for jobs that don’t involve driving is a form of employment discrimination.

Sick Leave for Smoky Days From Wildfires

A new law allows farm workers to take paid sick leave if the weather conditions are smoky due to wildfires. Starting Jan. 1, 2025, agricultural workers can log sick days for “smoke, heat, or flooding conditions created by a local or state emergency.” If their workplace is shuttered because of “smoke, heat, or flooding conditions,” they will also be entitled to paid sick time.

Monetizing Children on Social Media

Since 1939, child actors in California have been able to get a slice of their earnings thanks to the Coogan Law. Now, children who appear in vlog channels and on influencers’ accounts will also be entitled to payment by their adult caretakers.

Jackie Coogan was one of America’s first child stars, appearing in Charlie Chaplin’s “The Kid” in 1921. When Coogan turned 21, he learned that his family had squandered his fortune, prompting the 1939 passage of the Coogan Act, which requires parents to open a trust fund for their working children. Two laws signed by Newsom extend protections to children who appear on California content creators’ platforms like YouTube vlogs, podcasts, social media and streams. Trusts must be established to set aside at least 15% of the gross earnings.

Minors finally get their protection!

No Book Bans

California just made it a lot harder to ban books in public libraries. The Freedom to Read Act prohibits banning books because of the race, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, or political affiliation of a book’s subject, author, or intended audience. The law also protects library workers from being fired or disciplined if they refuse to remove a book.

“There is a growing movement to ban books nationwide, and this bill will ensure that Californians have access to books that offer diverse

perspectives,” bill author Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi said in a statement.

Treatment of Native Peoples Must Be Taught

Assembly Bill 1821 mandates that California public schools provide students a “foundation of understanding” surrounding the historical treatment of Native Americans during the Spanish mission period and the Gold Rush era.

“I’m proud of the progress California has made to reckon with the dark chapters of our past, and we’re committed to continuing this important work to promote equity, inclusion, and accountability for Native peoples,” Newsom said when signing the bill in September.

No More “Captive Audience” Meetings

A new law bans employers from requiring you to attend “captive audience” meetings. These meetings often have political, religious or anti-union messaging. Gov. Newsom signed the law, SB 399, earlier in 2024 taking effect now. It allows the California Labor Commissioner to fine companies up to $500 for “subjecting, or threatening to subject, an employee to discharge, discrimination, retaliation, or any other adverse action” if the employee does not attend a captive audience meeting.

A Ban on Hair Discrimination

Gov. Newsom signed bills intended to address current and historical racist discrimination, including those targeting hair (whether directly or indirectly). While the most prominent bill was a formal apology for California’s role in the slave trade, it also included AB 1815, by Assemblymember Akilah Weber, D-San Diego. That law strengthens anti-discrimination protections in the workplace by clarifying that the term “race” includes traits associated with race, such as hair texture or protective hairstyles.

Paid Family Leave and Disability Laws

Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, workers who take paid family leave or disability will get more money: SB 951, authored by Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, in 2022 increases the programs’ wage replacement rates from 60-70% to 70-90% in the new year. Durazo said the hikes will allow more people to take time off to recover or bond with a new baby.

You might also like…

• California 2025 New Minimum Wage Laws
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The post New California Laws Taking Effect in 2025 appeared first on Law Office of Lauren Abrams.

On January 1, 2025, the minimum wage in California increases to $16.50 per hour for all employers.

Local Differences

However, several cities and counties in California have a higher local minimum wage, and some of those increase as of January 1, 2025 including:

• Menlo Park – $17.10 per hour
• Mountain View – $19.20 per hour
• Palo Alto – $18.20
• San Diego – $17.25 per hour
• San Jose – $17.95 per hour
• Santa Clara – $18.20 per hour
• Sunnyvale – $19.00 per hour
• West Hollywood – $19.65 per hour

Other cities and counties also get minimum wage increases throughout 2025 in yet-to-be-determined rates, including the City of Los Angeles (currently $17.28 per hour), unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County outside the City of Los Angeles (currently $17.27 per hour) and San Francisco (currently $18.67).

Additionally, the minimum wage for fast food restaurant employees, those individuals working at a restaurant that is part of a national chain with 60 or more restaurants nationwide where customers order and pay for their items hey before consuming them either on or off the premises, is currently $20.00 per hour, but this too will be adjusted for inflation on January 1, 2025, and every January after that through January 1, 2029.

The California Equal Pay Act prohibits an employer from paying its employees less than employees of the opposite sex for equal work.

It’s always illegal for an employer to pay any of its employees wage rates that are less than what it pays employees of the opposite sex, or of another race, or of another ethnicity for substantially similar work, when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, and responsibility, and performed in basically similar conditions.

Illegal to retaliate against an employee for complaining about their wages or discrimination. Contact our office for a free consultation.

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• Defamation in Employment: Understanding the Laws in California
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The post California 2025 New Minimum Wage Laws appeared first on Law Office of Lauren Abrams.

In recent news, Defendant Donald Trump was found liable for defamation and sexual abuse in New York today and ordered to pay $5 million in damages. While this case unfolded in New York, it brings to light the importance of understanding defamation laws in California.

Here in California, employees have legal protections against defamation, specifically protecting their professional reputation. This means that if your employer (or former employer) tarnishes your professional image, you have the right to pursue legal action for defamation. If successful, you may be entitled to various forms of relief, including double damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, and in some rare cases, even criminal charges may apply.

Defamation in the employment context can take many forms, such as:

1. False statements about an employee’s job performance or qualifications

2. Spreading rumors about an employee’s work life that harm their professional image

3. Unsubstantiated accusations of misconduct, theft, or dishonesty

To illustrate, consider this example: An employee is terminated from their job, and the employer spreads false rumors that the employee was fired due to theft or dishonesty. This misinformation/lie is shared with the employee’s colleagues, potential employers, or others in the industry, causing significant harm to the employee’s professional reputation and career prospects.

In such a situation, the employee would have grounds to file a defamation lawsuit against their former employer, seeking compensation for the damage done to their professional reputation.

Losing your job is bad enough. It is even worse if false statements by your former employer poison your name in the industry and make it harder to find another job. Defamation laws are in place as safeguards to protect employees from unfounded attacks on their professional reputations.

By providing a legal avenue for those wronged by their employers or ex-employers, California ensures that individuals can maintain their good standing in their chosen profession and recover compensation for any damages they have suffered as a result of defamatory statements.

The post Defamation in Employment: Understanding the Laws in California appeared first on Law Office of Lauren Abrams.

In this short video, employment attorney Lauren Abrams provides further details on this subject.

Transcript

It’s better to be terminated. Never quit. You never want to resign. You have no rights, whatsoever, if you resign. Your employer will do everything they can to get you to resign.

Do not do it. Do not sign anything, do not agree to anything. You want to be terminated.

The post Is It Better to Resign or Be Terminated in California? appeared first on Law Office of Lauren Abrams.

Transcript

At-Will employment in California is where you can quit at your own free will and an employer can terminate you at its own free will, but there are so many limitations. Some of the limitations are you can’t be terminated because you’re in a protected category.

And the list is very long on that. You can’t be terminated because you have a disability, or because you took maternity leave, or because you’re caring for a sick family member, or because you went out on jury duty. And it’s that whole list of protected classes. If you have been retaliated against for that reason or you feel like you’re being discriminated against, you need to put your complaint in writing.

Give that complaint to human resources.

The post What Does At Will Employment Mean? appeared first on Law Office of Lauren Abrams.

Transcript

When you’re applying for a job, you are entitled to the same salary as that man is making at the same or similar position that you’re applying for. You’re not allowed to be discriminated against in your wages.

Ask your male counterpart how much they’re making. When you go to lunch with a bunch of people say, “Hey, how much are you making,” or. “How much bonus did you get? What did you get when you started here?” and, “How much are you making now?” Just kind of conversationally, see if you can find out how much your male counterparts are making. And if they’re making more than you, go to human resources, show them the new wage law in California, and say, “This isn’t right and I’m entitled to this.” It’s very important that you put this complaint in writing.

You are not allowed to be retaliated against for complaining about being paid improperly in California. It is against the law to be retaliated against for this. And you are instantly protected at your workplace once you put this in writing.

The post How Do Wage Gap Laws Protect Women in the Workplace? appeared first on Law Office of Lauren Abrams.

Transcript:

If you’re facing retaliation in the workplace in California, the first thing you have to do is document, document, document. You have to document to Human Resources that you feel retaliated against based on a protected category. And email is the easiest way to do that. And keep a copy of that email for yourself so that you have proof that you complained about the retaliation.

You can also go to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing and let them know that you’re facing some form of protected category retaliation. If you have further questions, you can always contact us.

The post What If I’m Facing Retaliation in the Workplace? appeared first on Law Office of Lauren Abrams.

2020 has been, among other things, a year in which a spotlight has shone on the issue of inequality in a variety of areas. Those in California are no strangers to the issue of equality, especially in terms of pay, as it has been a hotbed issue for the last several years.

In California, the entertainment industry has been accused of some of the most egregious violations of pay inequality. Actors, writers, and production staff, typically women and minorities, have all become more vocal about their experiences being paid less than their white male counterparts for similar work.

The legal community is no exception.  Law firms have been found to pay male partners more than their overworked female partners in the firms. Female lawyers fear speaking out just like anyone else because they are afraid of retaliation, even though they know retaliation for reporting pay inequity is illegal.

What Is The Law On Wage Equality In California?

The Golden State has had the Equal Pay Act for decades, but in 2015 the legislature passed the California Fair Pay Act, which strengthens the Equal Pay Act by replacing the idea of “equal work” with the concept of “substantially similar work when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, and responsibility.”

This modification makes it easier for those in the entertainment industry, legal industry, or any other employee to bring and win a case against their employer.

As of a 2017 amendment to the Equal Pay Act, race, ethnicity, and gender are all protected categories. Employers may not pay employees in any of these classes differently than those outside of the protected classes for substantially similar work. The burden of proof to justify the difference in wages between employees falls on the employer.

What Are The Damages For Violating Equal Pay Laws?

Penalties and damages for violations of the Equal Pay Act and the California Fair Pay Act can add up quickly. At minimum, if an employer is found to be in violation, the employee can be awarded the difference in wages as well as interest, attorney’s fees, and all court costs.

Employees may also be awarded civil penalties for themselves and any other similarly affected employees under the California Private Attorneys General Act of 2004. If the court determines that the employers’ violation was willful, they can choose to add additional penalties, up to and including criminal prosecution.

Managers and executives responsible for determining pay rates should be hyper-aware of their obligations under the Equal Pay Act. Failure to do so can result in both expensive fines and damaging publicity.

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The post California Pay Equity in 2020 (Part 1) appeared first on Law Office of Lauren Abrams.