Biden is marking the 15th anniversary of landmark pay equity law with steps to help federal workers

The Biden administration is marking Monday's 15th anniversary of a landmark federal pay equity law with new action to help close gaps in pay for federal employees and employees of federal contractors.

Despite progress since the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was signed into law in January 2009, President Joe Biden said women who work outside the home are still paid an average of 84 cents for every dollar earned by a man, and that the pay disparities are greater for many women of color.

The Democratic president said the “common-sense” steps announced Monday «will help pay millions of workers fairly, close gender and racial wage gaps and yield tangible benefits for the federal government and federal contractors.”

The Office of Personnel Management is issuing a final rule to bar the government from considering a person's current or past pay when determining their salary for federal employment. Administration officials said this step will help limit pay discrimination and ensure compensation is based on an applicant's skills, experience and expertise.

A similar proposal will offer protections to those employed by federal contractors.

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council is issuing a proposal to prohibit federal contractors and subcontractors from seeking and considering information about a job applicant's compensation history when hiring or setting pay for anyone who works on a government contract.

The proposal also requires contractors and subcontractors to disclose salary ranges in job postings.

Administration officials said the proposal would help federal contractors recruit, diversify and retain talent, improve job satisfaction and performance and reduce turnover.

The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was the first