[co-author: Yonatan Grossman-Boder, law clerk]

New equal pay laws are coming into effect in 2016 in both New York and California. The New York law, passed as part of the Women’s Equality Agenda, will come into effect on January 19, 2016, and the California law will become effective on January 1, 2016. Both new laws enact broader prohibitions on wage differentials and change how employees can prove and employers defend against claims of unequal pay.

To fully review the changes coming in the New Year, see our blog posts on the New York law here and the California law here. Employers should be aware of these new laws and should reach out to counsel to ensure that they are in compliance.