Equal Employment and Pay Equity

Headlines announcing impending layoffs and furloughs abound as the economy declines due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus and a downturn in the oil and gas sector. Depending on the demographics of their employees, some firms may be particularly susceptible to risk of adverse impact in layoff and furlough decisions.

The pay ranges specified in the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's proposed EEO-1 forms are broader than the pay differences it aims to detect. While the goal of determining instances of pay discrimination is sensible, the authors show that the proposed data collection system is unlikely to accomplish the objective.

In this Law360 article, Dr. Stephen Bronars and Dr. Nathan Woods discuss the possibly profound consequences of using external benchmarks when conducting analyses of age discrimination allegations.

Companies may be interested in assessing their compensation policies for a number of reasons. In a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, three-quarters of firms responded that they regularly audit for pay equity across a variety of characteristics such as gender, race or ethnicity, and age.

Federal anti-discrimination laws in the U.S. protect applicants, employees, and former employees from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, and genetic information. One dimension not included is discrimination based on an individual’s “caste.”

Join expert labor economists from Edgeworth Economics and Kevin White, co-chair of the Hunton Andrews Kurth Labor and Employment team, on July 21 for this complimentary webinar addressing key legal issues arising in the COVID-19 world of which employers should be aware.

Dr. Nathan Woods will be a panelist at the 13th Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference, sponsored by the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law. 

Edgeworth Economics Partner Dr. Nathan Woods will present on pay equity alongside Phelps Dunbar Partner Reed Russell at the Wage & Hour Defense Institute (WHDI)’s annual Spring Meeting, to be held May 4, 2018 in Nashville, TN.

ACI will host its annual National Forum on Employment Discrimination Litigation, where Dr. Stephen Bronars will discuss economic damages and statistical issues in employment discrimination cases.

Edgeworth Economics Partners Dr. Stephen Bronars and Dr. Nathan Woods have published an article in Law360 entitled "How Estimates Can Miss The Mark On Age Discrimination."

Edgeworth Economics is pleased to announce that Dr. Stephen G. Bronars has joined the firm as a Partner in the Washington, D.C., office. 

Edgeworth Economics is pleased to announce that Dr. Nathan Woods has joined the firm as a Partner in the Washington, D.C., office. Dr. Woods specializes in class action wage and hour disputes and employment discrimination matters at the state and federal levels.