Gordon-Booth Recognizes Equal Pay Day, Highlights State Efforts Including Paid Leave Law

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – With March 12 marking this year’s Equal Pay Day, state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, is emphasizing the role the state can play in closing the wage gap and securing worker benefits – such as paid leave.

“The wage gap for women, especially for women of color, can be particularly difficult in households where they are the single source of income,” Gordon-Booth said. “That’s why it’s important that we focus on removing barriers to equal pay, while also strengthening and expanding benefits that working families deserve. I’m passionate about our state’s approach to paid leave because I know it’s having a significant impact on the lives of many women across Illinois.”

Gordon-Booth was the lead House sponsor of the recently-implemented Paid Leave for All Workers Act (Senate Bill 208, 102nd General Assembly), which requires all employers to provide their employees the ability to accrue a minimum of 40 hours (or five days) of paid leave per year to be used for any reason. Paid leave can be used for any purpose without providing an employer a reason for the leave.

Additionally, Gordon-Booth supported legislation (House Bill 3129) that works to remove barriers to equal pay by increasing salary transparency in job postings.

March 12 is recognized as Equal Pay Day to represent how far into the year women must work to match what men earned the previous year. According to U.S. Census information, women earn about 84 cents for every dollar that men make. (https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/equal-pay-day.html)

“There’s no excuse for a wage gap based on a person’s identity,” Gordon-Booth said. “We have to continue to pass commonsense legislation that removes inequitable structures and closes the gap faster. There’s still work to do.”

For more information, please contact RepJGordon@gmail.com.