A source of insights, news and strategy on pay equity matters
Employers preparing an Illinois Equal Pay Registration Certificate (EPRC) submission should prepare for changes to the state’s employee data reporting requirements. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) will no longer accept submissions that report an employee’s sex or race as “prefers not to identify.”
This is a change to…
California’s May 2027 pay data reports will use 23 job categories based on the federal Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, replacing the 10 EEO-1 categories used in prior reports. Employers should consider using the remainder of 2026 to map their jobs into the new categories, resolve classification questions, and check that their systems can support…
California enacted SB 1237 on Sept. 30, 2026, increasing the maximum penalty for repeat pay data reporting failures fivefold, from $200 to $1,000 per employee. The enhanced penalties will apply to the May 2027 filing cycle. Read more about California’s higher penalties.
On April 22, 2026, Virginia enacted House Bill (HB) 636 and Senate Bill (SB) 215, companion bills that expand pay transparency requirements and limit how employers may seek and use applicants’ compensation information.
Under the new law, employers are prohibited from seeking the wage or salary history of a prospective employee or relying on…
Equal Pay Day, observed this year on March 26, highlights how far into the current year the average woman must work to earn what the average man earned in the prior year. While the date may shift from year to year, the conversation it prompts does not.
For employers, Equal Pay Day is less about…
Ahead of the May 13, 2026, filing deadline, the California Civil Rights Department has released preliminary templates and updated FAQs for the 2025 pay data reporting cycle. Although these simplified templates may still be revised, they highlight new mandatory data fields, including exemption status, employment type, and total annual weeks worked. Read more about these…
On December 4, 2025, the New York City Council voted to override Mayor Eric Adams’ veto, enacting new local laws that significantly expand pay transparency obligations for private employers.
Under the new law, employers with at least 200 employees must report pay data, including demographic and occupational information, on an annual basis following a…
The City of Columbus, Ohio, has joined a growing list of jurisdictions adopting pay transparency laws intended to promote pay equity. On November 4, 2025, Mayor Andrew Ginther signed an ordinance that introduces new requirements for employers and restricts salary history inquiries. This ordinance closely mirrors the Cleveland pay transparency law that went into effect…
Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 642 on October 8, 2025, revising California’s Equal Pay Act. Effective January 1, 2026, the amendments refine key definitions, including “pay scale,” “sex,” and “wages,” and limit the period to obtain relief to six years.
For more details about SB 642, read the full analysis here.
On October 9, 2025, the New York City Council passed amendments to local laws that, if passed, would impose new pay equity reporting obligations on certain private employers and require the city to conduct annual pay equity studies. These measures are designed to identify and address wage disparities based on gender, race, and ethnicity.
