Pay Equity

Pay Equity Day is April 17, 2012.

Each year the PCSW commemorates Pay Equity Day. It is typically recognized the third Tuesday in April of each year. The date symbolized how far a woman must work into the next year to earn as much as a man earned. Read Governor Malloy’s proclamation about the day.

Since the Equal Pay Act was signed in 1963, the wage gap has been closing at a very slow rate. In 1963, women who worked full-time, year-round made 59 cents for every dollar earned by men. In 2009, nationally women earned 77 cents to men’s dollar; in Connecticut it was 76 cents. That means that the wage gap has narrowed by less than half a cent per year. Ensuring equal pay for equal work is essential to closing the pay gap.

Pay equity buttons are available by calling (860) 240-8300.

Tell Your Story

Do you have a story about how the issue of pay equity has directly impacted your life? Have you experienced pay discrimination? Share your story with us by filling out the form below. Your name and email will be kept confidential. We may contact you for more information.

Ways to Impact Pay Equity

There are many ways you can take action to help move us towards pay equity, not just on Pay Equity Day but throughout the year as well.

• Educate yourself. There are some great research publications available to the public including  PCSW’s Research Brief on Pay Equity and the AAUW’s report Behind the Pay Gap. Also, watch a Power Point Highlighting Pay Equity Over the Lifespan and read this Connecticut specific graph “Inequity in Connecticut Occupations By Sex and Median Earnings.”
• Encourage your local schools to teach students about the pay gap. Download our sample lesson plan.
• Hang our Pay Equity Poster around your local community (coffee shops, libraries etc.).
• Organize a lunch time meeting at your workplace and invite women to attend so they can stay informed about pay equity issues. We have resource below that you may find helpful to facilitate discussion.
• Hold an equal pay day bake sale. Have men pay 100% of the cost while charging women only 76% of the price of the baked goods.
• Encourage your local city/town council to proclaim “Pay Equity Day” by passing a local resolution (sample language here).
• Send letters to the editor of your local paper. A few quick tips: pick only one or two papers to send your letter and make sure your letter is brief – most papers have a word limit on what they will print (usually around 200 words).