The Department of Labor & Industries is offering employers free consultations to assess their compliance with the Equal Pay and Opportunity Act (EPOA). EPOA supports gender pay equity and provides employees additional workplace protections. L&I’s consultations can help employers understand the law’s requirements and minimize their compliance risks. According to L&I’s announcement, consultation benefits include:
• L&I’s equal pay specialist will review your policies and practices and recommend possible resolutions.
• Your organization will receive proposed resolutions for reducing potential risks of future employee complaints.
• No fines or penalties will be issued if potential violations are identified during a consultation, as long as there are no active EPOA complaints filed against your organization during the course of the consultation.
To request a consultation, send an email to esgeneral@lni.wa.gov with “Equal Pay Consultation” in the subject line and provide your name, your organization’s name, Unified Business Identifier, phone number, and preferred email address. You can also call L&I’s equal pay specialist at (360) 789-5287. (David Streeter)
