PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Seher Khawaja, Director of Economic Justice at Legal Momentum
2:11:42
ยท
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Seher Khawaja, representing Legal Momentum, testifies in support of Intros 808-A, 982, and 984, which aim to address gender and race-based pay inequity through pay transparency measures. She highlights the success of previous pay transparency legislation and emphasizes the need for New York City to lead in strengthening protections for vulnerable groups.
- Khawaja outlines three key improvements proposed in Intro 808-A: clarifying salary range standards, requiring records for pay outside posted ranges, and mandating pay range disclosure to existing employees.
- She expresses strong support for Intros 982 and 984, which would implement a pay data reporting scheme in New York City.
- Khawaja emphasizes the critical timing of these bills, given the expected degradation of rights at the federal level.
Seher Khawaja
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Good afternoon.
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Thank you, Chair Williams and members of the committee, for convening this hearing.
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My name is Sahair Khwaja.
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I am the director of economic justice at Legal Momentum, the Women's Legal defense and education fund.
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I'm testifying today in support of intros 808 a, 8 982, and 984.
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Together, these pay transparency bills have incredible potential to address gender and race based pay inequity, and we thank council members Brooks Powers, Kavan, and Farriess for their leadership.
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For over 50 years, legal momentum has been at the forefront of using the law to advance gender equality, and we are grateful for the council's partnership in enacting pioneering pay transparency
Beverly Neufeld
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legislation, efforts that have since reverberated across the
Seher Khawaja
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country.
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Efforts that have since reverberated across the country.
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Because we have a clear roadmap for how the rights of women and people of color will soon be systematically degraded at the federal level, we are once again at a critical moment for New York City to lead to strengthen protections for those who are most vulnerable.
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Since our pay transparency law was enacted 2 years ago now, we have proof that it works, that it's essential to closing the gender and racial pay gaps across income levels and that it can be improved.
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Intro 808 a would make 6 improvements to address loopholes and gaps, improvements that are not unprecedented, and I'm going to highlight 3.
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1st, the vague standard that requires that salary ranges be in good faith is unhelpful, encouraging posting of overbroad and inaccurate ranges.
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808 a would clarify that a salary range should be based on objective factors like job responsibilities, requisite skills, and organizational budget.
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This standard pushes employers to price the job and not the person, limiting the role of discriminatory bias in salary setting.
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2nd, under the current law, the posted pay range may not reflect what employers actually pay for the position, leaving us with zero transparency in those scenarios.
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To close this loophole, 808 a correctly requires employers to keep a record if they pay outside the posted range.
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Lastly, for decades, we have outlawed paid discrimination while denying employees the basic information that would allow them to assess whether they are being paid unfairly.
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This is an absurd scheme that 808 a would correct by requiring that employers disclose pay ranges to existing employees for their current positions.
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And very quickly, on intros 982 and 984, I will briefly say that while we have a number of recommendations for improving the efficacy of these bills, which will be in our written testimony, we are incredibly encouraged by their introduction and strongly support the implementation of a pay data reporting scheme in New York City.
2:14:13
Thank you.