Employee Rights to Equal Pay and Opportunities
The Equal Pay and Opportunities Act prohibits gender pay discrimination and promotes fairness among workers by addressing business practices that contribute to income disparities between genders. Both employees and applicants have rights under this law.
| Employee Rights | Job Applicant Rights |
|---|---|
| Equal pay, not based on gender | Privacy of wage or salary history when applying for a job |
| Equal career advancement opportunities, not based on gender | No requirement for wage or salary history to meet certain criteria |
| Ability to discuss wages with others | Access to minimum wage or salary information of a new position, upon request by the applicant |
| Access to wage or salary information of a new position or promotion, upon request by the employee | |
| Protection from retaliation |
Filing a complaint
To file a complaint against an employer (or former employer) for violating this law:
- Fill out the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act complaint form and mail it to:
Department of Labor & Industries
Employment Standards
PO Box 44510
Olympia, WA 98504-4510
- Bring the complaint form to your nearest L&I office
Or
-
Submit the form to our secure file upload. You can also use this link to send us documents and all other supporting information along with the completed complaint form. Please make sure the information is as complete and accurate as possible. Save the complaint form and any additional supporting documents with your first and last name within file name once completed and before submitting the form.
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