Policy

You Can’t Fix What You Can’t See

Employer transparency is key to achieving equal pay for women and people of color. We can’t fix what we can’t see. That’s why the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls alongside Equal Rights Advocates, California Employment Lawyers Association and Tech Equity Collaborative are co-sponsoring SB 1162 authored by Commissioner Sen. Monique Limón.

SB 1162 – Pay Transparency for Pay Equity Act

For large companies of 100+ employees, SB 1162 would:

Require companies to report pay information for contract workers.

Contract positions are more likely to be held by women and people of color. Given the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on these groups, it is imperative that we end the discrepancies for these workers as part of our efforts to help women recover economically in California.

Require employers to list salary ranges on job postings & require internal pay transparency.

Employers would be required to publish the salary ranges for job postings, or how much an hourly position would pay and to report pay data internally to all employees and contract workers — including how much workers are paid according to their gender, race, and ethnicity.

Require companies to make pay data public.

Transparency and accountability are key to closing gender and racial pay gaps.  SB 1162 provides employees the data they need to advocate to narrow unfair wage gaps and negotiate more equitable pay.

AB 1287 – Eliminate The “Pink Tax”

Title VII of the Civil Rights act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity. However, women still pay more on average for identical products that are marketed specifically to women, and often are simply a different color – a phenomena known as the “Pink Tax.” Women make up as much as 85% of consumer purchases in the United States. Unequal prices for women translate to impacts for their own financial wellbeing as well as that of their families. AB 1287 prohibits businesses from assigning different prices for identical goods simply because of the gender the goods are marketed to.

AB 14 (Aguiar-Curry)/SB 4 (Gonzalez) Internet For All: broadband services: California Advanced Services Fund  PASSED

Prioritizes the deployment of broadband infrastructure in California’s most vulnerable and unserved rural and urban communities by extending the ongoing collection of funds deposited into the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) to provide communities with grants necessary to bridge the digital divide.

SB 331 (Leyva) Silence No More Act   PASSED

Abusing workers then forcing silence – under the threat of lost income and healthcare – is depraved. 40 MILLION people will no longer have to stay silent when they are a victim of any type of harassment or discrimination in the workplace with this new law.

SB 65 (Skinner) Maternal Care and Services Momnibus Bill   PASSED

This law establishes a comprehensive program to improve maternal and infant outcomes, which is especially critical for families of color, by providing birthing options like doulas, expands access to midwives, extends Medi-Cal care and provides cash aid to low-income pregnant people.

AB 367 (C. Garcia) Menstrual Equity Act 2021   PASSED

Access to menstrual products shouldn’t be considered a luxury – it’s a basic need. But 1 in 5 first generation college students still experience period poverty. This law requires and expands access to free menstrual products in K-12 schools, community colleges, and CSUs.

AB 1356 (Bauer-Kahan) Protecting Reproductive Health Clinic Patients   PASSED

True access to reproductive healthcare requires safety and privacy. This law will strengthen protections for patients and providers from harassment and doxing at reproductive health clinics, in light of the uptick in extremist activity and tasks the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls with reviewing and recommending  changes to legislation and peace officer training for handling reproductive health crimes.