Carroll’s Equal Pay Bill to Crack Down on Wage Discrimination

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, is sponsoring legislation to end discriminatory pay practices used by employers that have locked women in a lifetime of unfair and unequal wages.

“It is equally egregious that still in 2019 women are unfairly paid for the same work they do as men,” said Carroll. “This vicious cycle that has trapped women in an incredibly unfair system has to stop and my legislation is another good step toward equality as it prohibits a discriminatory practice.”

Carroll’s House Bill 834 will more strictly prevent employers from asking potential employees their salary history, a practice that has continued pay discrimination against women. Banning corporations and employers from engaging in this practice will begin to break the cycle of unfair pay for women.
Carroll’s measure successfully passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support and now moves to the Illinois Senate.

“Since a gender wage gap still exists, House Bill 834 will strengthen the Illinois Equal Pay Act by making it a violation for employers to ask job applicants about their prior salary or to confirm it with their employer, in order to stop perpetuating unequal pay,” said Melissa Josephs, Director of Equal Opportunity Policy with Women Employed. “Instead, employers should hire employees based on their skills and experience, and pay them based on their budget and the going rate for the job.”