Hernandez Effort to Ensure Pay Equity Passes House, Highlights Effect on the Economy

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Committed to fighting for women’s rights, state Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D-Cicero, member of the Latino Caucus, voted to pass legislation through the House Wednesday that would move Illinois one step closer toward pay equity between me and women.

“As a mother of a teenage daughter, it is my priority to decrease the number of obstacles that often hold women back from personal and professional success,” Hernandez said. “Women generally earn less than men, so if you ask female candidates about their pay history, it may lock them into lower salaries, which is why passing this legislation is a crucial step toward equality.”

Hernandez’s House Bill 2462, would forbid employers from paying employees with equal experience and in identical roles, different wages. Among other things, the bill would make it harder for employers to ask job applicants about their pay history during the application process. Massachusetts recently enacted similar legislation and Philadelphia became the first city to ban private sector employers from asking job applicants about their salary history.

“It’s unacceptable that in the year 2017, a woman who works full-time, year-round, makes about 79 cents for every dollar earned by a man, and this gap gets even bigger for women of color, particularly Latinas,” Hernandez said. “Inequity in pay is not only wrong for its obvious reasons, but also because it’s bad for the economy as lower wages make it harder for women to take care of their families. I urge my colleagues in the Senate and Gov. Rauner to support this measure so we could ensure that equal pay for equal work is more than just a slogan.”