Joshua Hawks-Ladds Talks to NewHavenBiz About Workplace Sexism

Attorney Joshua Hawks-Ladds, co-chair of Pullman & Comley's Labor, Employment Law and Employee Benefits practice, was interviewed by NewHavenBiz to discuss workplace sexism, gender pay gaps and ongoing changes in state legislation to combat gender discrimination at work.

Josh outlined some of the types of cases that he sees, which often include issues related to pregnancy, inappropriate remarks and language, bullying with a sexist component and sexual harassment. Although the landscape has improved drastically over the past few decades with changes in federal and state laws bringing greater equality and fairness to women in the workplace, gender discrimination is still a significant issue among companies.

Josh also discussed the pay gap: the 2020 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that full-time female workers' pay is 82 cents for every dollar earned by their male colleagues. In recent years, however, the state of Connecticut has passed legislation specifically aimed at reducing the pay gap, so that employers are now required to state a pay range for each position. “Change in law regarding wage transparency is an attempt to break through the glass ceiling,” Josh said. “When someone applies for a position, she does not have to say what her salary was, but the employer does have to say the salary range. That’s an attempt to equalize the pay disparity.”

To read the full article, please visit the NewHavenBiz website.