Walker, Gillespie to Host Workshop with Women Employed on Pay Equity, Skill Building

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – To better help women navigate a new state law addressing pay equity, state Rep. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights, and state Sen. Ann Gillespie, D-Arlington Heights, are teaming up with Women Employed, a nonprofit working to expand educational and employment opportunities for all women, to host a Women’s Skill Building Workshop on Feb. 20 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Mount Prospect Public Library, located at 10 S. Emerson St.

“Last year, the General Assembly passed legislation prohibiting employers from screening job applicants based on their salary history or requiring applicants to disclose their salaries before being hired,” Walker said. “This legislation, now law, will hopefully go a long way to breaking the cycle too many women face of continued pay inequity. Our workshop with Women Employed will discuss the new law and other ways women can fight for equal pay in the workplace.”

Walker and Gillespie both co-sponsored House Bill 834 which was signed into law July 31, 2019. That law and professional development tips will be discussed at the workshop facilitated by Sharmili Majmudar, Executive Vice President of Policy and Organizational Impact at Women Employed (WE). Established in 1973, WE is recognized for its work to improve women’s economic status and remove barriers to economic equity in Chicago, in Illinois and at the national level. Topics covered at the workshop include understanding the impact using past salaries has had on the gender wage gap, reviewing resources for job seekers and employers on the new salary history law, and salary negotiation strategies