The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibit gender-based differences in pay--except in a few limited circumstances. Virtually all employers in all industries are covered by the EPA, including executive, administrative, and professional employees, as well as outside salespeople. Nonemployees, such as partners and independent contractors, are not covered under the EPA. Title VII covers employers with 15 or more employees. Under the comparable worth concept, employees performing completely different jobs must receive equal pay if the jobs they perform are of equal worth to the employer. Comparable worth theories are not broadly accepted in the private sector, but a few states have incorporated comparable worth theories into state equal pay laws.
