Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) has often talked about pay disparities between women and men, and now the presidential candidate is releasing a plan that aims to enforce equal pay. She says she would have the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission verify that companies with 100 or more employees are paying women and men equally.
And if companies don’t pay equally, they could be fined.
Companies would be required to obtain a federal certification showing they are not underpaying women, under Harris’ proposal. Those that fail to do so could be fined billions of dollars.
Employers would have to show that any gap in pay between women and men is based on merit, performance or seniority. Companies that discriminate against women would be fined at 1% of their average daily profits for every 1% gap that exists between the pay of male and female employees doing the same job.
