Bill > A06448

This bill amends the civil service law to establish a state policy of fair and equal pay for equivalent value of work, aligning with federal laws like the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibit pay discrimination based on sex, race, or national origin. It mandates that the principles of fair and equal pay for similar work and for work of equivalent value must be applied when classifying and reclassifying positions, and that all positions with the same title must be assigned the same salary grade. "Equivalent value of work" is defined to include dissimilar job titles that have comparable requirements in terms of skills, effort, responsibility, and working conditions, ensuring that sex, race, or national origin do not influence wage determination. The bill also outlines exceptions where different wage rates are permissible, such as due to bona fide seniority or merit systems, geographic location, or other non-discriminatory factors, and clarifies that it does not diminish rights gained through collective bargaining. Furthermore, it requires the Commission to develop regulations for determining equivalent work value, with a specific focus on preventing the undervaluation of jobs predominantly held by women and minorities, and establishes a reporting mechanism for identifying and correcting "segregated titles" where pay disparities exist based on the equivalent value of work.