Robert J. O’Hara, Member of the Firm in the Employment, Labor & Workforce Management practice, in the firm’s New York office, was quoted in HR Dive, in “A Quick, 4-Step Guide to a Successful Pay Equity Audit,” by Ryan Golden.
Following is an excerpt:
Pay equity audits can address a chief concern of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. According to a 2021 Society for Human Resource Management report, they also may inspire trust within an organization.
But employers need to have the right mindset if they are going to attempt an audit, Robert O'Hara, member of the firm at Epstein Becker Green, said during a Feb. 10 web event hosted by Deloitte Legal. Namely, stakeholders should commit to taking advantage of the information they receive as a result of the analysis.
"You have to go in with an eye that you're going to make adjustments as needed," O'Hara said. "If you're not prepared to do that, I would be reluctant to have you do a pay equity analysis, because now if you do it and you find you have problems, and you bury it, I don't think you're in a very good position from a legal perspective."
That does not necessarily mean employers must preemptively decide to make sweeping changes to their pay practices, or a complete overhaul, he continued, though such changes may be warranted if an audit reveals large, systemic issues at play.
In a step-by-step presentation, O'Hara discussed what a modern pay equity analysis looks like, highlighting four key components.
Related reading: Deloitte Legal Dbrief: Pay Equity in a Global Context—Key Topics and Trends for an Equitable Workplace
