About the Paper

Download Paper

The paper describes the New Mexico Pay Equity Initiative, which was instituted by Governor Bill Richardson’s administration over a two year period (2009-2011). The Initiative built on recommendations from an Equal Pay Task Force created by the New Mexico State legislature in 2003, and a subsequent task force created by the governor in 2008. This paper discusses the rationale, policies, methodology and outcomes of the initiative, highlighting it as one way to serve the goal of achieving pay equity as embodied in the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Fair Pay Act, and also to advance the goal of government accountability and transparency. Implications for the future development and replication by other entities are included. The paper addresses the following Women’s Bureau goals: 1) reflect upon and celebrate the accomplishments of public policies related to women, and 2) highlight present day issues and future U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) policy priorities around women's rights and opportunities in the workplace. Importance: The New Mexico Pay Equity Initiative requiring gender pay equity reports of entities seeking contracts with the state is the only one of its kind in the country. It is a significant effort, and took two years to implement following earlier task forces and sets of recommendations. It can serve as a template for other government entities is advancing pay equity.

Citation

Burk, M., et al. (2014). A Paper Series Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of American Women: Report of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Download Paper

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.