equal pay
B2Formal, Professional, Legal, Academic
Definition
Meaning
The principle of paying employees the same wage for work of equal value, regardless of gender, race, or other personal characteristics.
A legal and social concept advocating for the removal of wage discrimination, particularly focusing on the gender pay gap, ensuring compensation is based on job requirements, skills, effort, and responsibility.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used as a noun phrase. Often refers to a principle, right, legislation, or campaign. Implies a comparison between groups (e.g., men vs. women) or individuals performing comparable work.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. The concept is identical. The term is used identically in legal and discourse contexts in both varieties.
Connotations
Strongly associated with feminist movements, social justice, and anti-discrimination law in both cultures.
Frequency
Equally common in both UK and US media, political, and HR discourse, especially around International Women's Day and in discussions of workplace equity.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
advocate for + equal paylegislate + equal payenforce + equal paydemand + equal payreceive + equal payVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Equal pay for equal work.”
- “Level the playing field.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
In HR policies and corporate social responsibility reports: 'The company is committed to achieving equal pay across all divisions.'
Academic
In sociology or economics papers: 'The study analyzes the impact of equal pay legislation on the national economy over three decades.'
Everyday
In general discussion: 'She left the company because they weren't offering equal pay for the same role.'
Technical
In legal documents: 'The claimant filed suit under the Equal Pay Act of 1963, alleging a violation of her right to equal pay.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The tribunal ruled that the employer must equal-pay the two roles.
- We are actively working to equal-pay our workforce.
American English
- The court ordered the corporation to equalize pay between the positions.
- The new policy aims to equal-pay across all departments.
adverb
British English
- The team is paid equally.
- The roles were assessed equally for pay purposes.
American English
- Employees must be compensated equally for substantially similar work.
- The law requires them to pay equally.
adjective
British English
- The equal-pay principle is enshrined in law.
- They conducted an equal-pay audit.
American English
- The equal-pay legislation was passed last year.
- She is a leading equal-pay advocate.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Men and women should get equal pay.
- Her boss believes in equal pay.
- The new law helps women get equal pay for doing the same job as men.
- Many people are fighting for equal pay around the world.
- Despite decades of campaigning, achieving true equal pay remains a significant challenge in many industries.
- The company's equal pay review revealed unexpected disparities among staff in similar roles.
- The landmark equal pay case set a precedent for how 'work of equal value' should be evaluated across different sectors.
- Critics argue that transparency in salary reporting is a prerequisite for meaningful progress on equal pay.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: EQUAL scales balancing identical PAY cheques for two people doing the same job.
Conceptual Metaphor
FAIRNESS IS BALANCE / JUSTICE IS A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation as 'равная оплата' which sounds odd. Use 'равная оплата труда' or the established calque 'равная зарплата'. The concept is often discussed as 'гендерный разрыв в оплате труда' (gender pay gap).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'equal payment' (sounds like a single transaction). Using 'same pay' (less formal and specific). Confusing 'equal pay' (for comparable work) with 'living wage' (minimum to live on).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the core principle of 'equal pay'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
While historically and most commonly associated with the gender pay gap, the principle of equal pay legally applies to all protected characteristics, including race, disability, and age, ensuring pay is not discriminatory.
No. It means individuals performing work of equal value (requiring similar skill, effort, responsibility, and conditions) should receive equal remuneration. Differences based on seniority, performance, or location are permissible if justified objectively.
'Equal pay' addresses unequal pay for the same or comparable work. The 'gender pay gap' is a broader statistical measure of the difference between the average earnings of all men and women in a workforce, influenced by role segregation, part-time work, and promotion rates, as well as direct pay discrimination.
Typically, an employee must identify a comparator of the opposite sex (or other protected characteristic) in the same employment doing equal work. They can raise a grievance internally, use mediation, or file a claim with an employment tribunal or court, often requiring detailed job analysis.