LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced Nov. 15 that Spec Formliners in Santa Ana, California, has agreed to a $105,000 settlement after allegations of equal pay violations.
EEOC said a female sales representative at Spec Formliners received less base pay than a male sales representative. Additionally, the female sales representative allegedly had to sell more to earn the same commission as her male counterpart.
"The changes that will be implemented as part of this settlement will ensure that female sales representatives will receive fair compensation for sales equal to those of their male counterparts. This not only benefits female employees, but also the company as a whole,” said Rosa Viramontes, director of the agency's Los Angeles District office.
In addition to the $105,000 monetary penalty that will be distributed to the female sales representative as relief, Spec Formliners will retain external consultants to help the company implement business practices that better comply with equal employment opportunity laws.
"We commend Spec Formliners for agreeing to put measures in place that will help remove barriers for female sales representatives and ensure equal pay for equal work," said Anna Park, regional attorney of the EEOC's Los Angeles District, in a statement. "Employees will do their best work when they know that their efforts are fairly compensated."