Professor West Interviewed by Los Angeles Times on California's Fair Pay Act

Professor Martha S. West was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times on the Fair Pay Act, a new California law that broadens past anti-discrimination legislation by ensuring that male and female employees performing "substantially similar" work are paid equal wages.

Professor West said she was "very excited" by the passage of the Fair Pay Act, "because the standard of 'substantially similar' work is quite a bit broader than the prior standard of 'equal work.'"  Courts interpreted "equal work" very strictly, West explained, "so you really had to be doing the same job to have a claim."

West also discusses potential shortcomings of the Act, how claims will be filed, and related subjects.

Professor West taught courses on Employment Discrimination, Labor Law, and Sex-based Discrimination at UC Davis School of Law from 1982 to 2007. Her research has focused on discrimination against women faculty in higher education.