First Partner Siebel Newsom and California Partners Project Unveil Equal Pay Playbook

Photo courtesy of California Governors office

SACRAMENTO — California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom March 12 released the Equal Pay Playbook, in partnership with the California Partners Project to provide companies with strategies for creating a more equitable workplace by identifying and eliminating their internal wage gap. To mark National Equal Pay Day, the First Partner also announced that more than 200 California-based companies, organizations, and municipalities have signed the California Equal Pay Pledge — more than doubling the number of pledge signatories in 2023.

“Women are the backbone of their communities and the economy and the breadwinner or co-breadwinner in most households in the U.S., yet the gender wage gap continues to deliver the message that our work and our contributions have less value than men’s. While data on the wage gap may differ, it all tells the same story of inequality and a gap in pay that worsens for mothers, women of color, immigrant women, and LGBTQ+ women, ultimately deepening generational poverty and slowing economic mobility. The Equal Pay Playbook is just one component of our gender equity strategy, providing companies the tools to close the gap and normalize equal pay in the workplace,” — said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

Collectively, women in California lose approximately $87 billion annually to the gender wage gap. The Equal Pay Playbook aims to address this by giving California employers a step-by-step guide for developing a strategic approach to equitable pay that is good for Californians and will help companies attract and retain top talent, boost innovation and productivity, and enhance brand reputation. The playbook offers six detailed and actionable steps for achieving equal pay, including conducting an internal pay equity audit and updating job descriptions and pay structure.

The Equal Pay Pledge was launched in 2019 by the First Partner. Companies who sign the pledge commit to conducting an annual company-wide gender pay analysis, reviewing hiring and promotion processes to reduce unconscious bias, and promoting best practices to help close the pay gap and ensure fundamental equity for all employees.

Details: Equal Pay Playbook: https://equalpay.calpartnersproject.org/