Governor Phil Bredesen signed the Equal Pay Remedies and Enforcement Act into law on Monday, June 17, 2004. The new legislation increases the penalty for violations of equal employment laws and calls for Econmic Council on Women to conduct an Equal Pay Study to help combat wage disparity. These measures place Tennessee among the top states in the nation in promoting fair employment practices.

The Equal Pay Act increases employee protection by setting up a graduated system of damages for repeated willful discrimination offenses. A willful violation now costs the employer damages of up to double the amount of unpaid wages due the employee for the second offense and up to triple this amount for the third offense. This groundbreaking legislation makes Tennessee the only state that increases the damages paid to affected employees for each repeated act of willful discrimination.

The equal pay study to be conducted by the Economic Council on Women offers an opportunity to greatly impact wage disparity in Tennessee. In the study the Council will examine wage disparities between men and women and between minorities and non-minorities, as well as factors contributing to these disparities, and the consequences of wage disparities on families and the economy. The Council will then make recommendations for the elimination of wage disparities in Tennessee. Finally, the Council will present the completed study to the Commissioner of Labor, who will transmit it to the Governor and the General Assembly.

Through detailed research the Council will be able to get to the bottom of the pay equity problem and find solutions that will make a difference for Tennessee’s women and minorities. Furthermore, the study allows the Council to make legislative recommendations that can be fundamental in bringing about change. Through the equal pay study TECW will play a vital role in ending wage disparity in Tennessee.

The equal pay study will focus on researching the causes and effects of wage disparity in Tennessee in order to find effective recommendations to help solve the growing problem. This study will serve the vital role of providing the information and tools needed to fight wage disparity throughout the state. Through the increase in discrimination penalties and the TECW equal pay study, the Equal Pay Act makes great strides towards providing all Tennesseans with the opportunity for fair and equal employment.