Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009
2007 was an important year for women and employment law. This was the year that the Supreme Court issued its final rule in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. The case regarded the amount of time a person has to file a lawsuit regarding unequal pay at his or her place of employment. Due to public outrage over the Court’s decision, in 2009 Congress passed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.
If you have been a victim of gender discrimination at your workplace, San Antonio fair pay attorneys Melton & Kumler, LLP can help. Call our offices at 800-681-6932.
What Is the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act?
The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act serves as an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In its 2007 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the 180 day statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit started the first day that the pay was handed out unequally. By this standard, it did not matter when the employee actually became aware of the discrepancy.
Unfortunately, this meant that victims of unfair pay may not be able to pursue legal action if they did not learn about the problem in time. To correct this, Congress passed the Lily Ledbetter Act. This starts the statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit on the day the employee or employees become aware of the difference. The “clock” may also start running on the date of the most recent paycheck.
Congress took nearly 2 years to pass the amendment to the Civil Rights Act. Its first attempt at revising the rule, debated during the 110th Congress in 2007, was never enacted. The previous bill was passed by the House but did not survive the Senate.
The current law, a re-introduction of the 2007 defeated bill, was introduced in the first weeks of the 111th Congress. This time it passed in both houses of Congress and was signed into law by President Obama on January 29th. This Act became one of the first pieces of legislation signed by President Barack Obama after taking office.
Contact a San Antonio Employment Attorney
If you have been the victim of pay discrimination, you need to fight for your legal rights. Contact the San Antonio employment attorneys of Melton & Kumler, LLP at 1-800-681-6932.