PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Governor Gina M. Raimondo today launched the RI Pay Equity Tip Line, a telephone line allowing women and men to report employers who violate the Rhode Island law that bans gender-based wage discrimination.
"In Rhode Island, we want to make sure work pays. Ensuring paycheck fairness is important for women, it creates opportunities for families, and it strengthens our economy," Governor Raimondo said. "This new tool to report pay disparity will empower us to hold employers accountable and lift up those who aren't earning equal pay for equal work."
The tip line, 401-462-WAGE (9243), is operated by the state Department of Labor and Training (DLT). One of DLT's duties is to protect the state's workforce by enforcing labor laws and investigating wage complaints and hiring violations.
Employees with information about pay disparity in the workplace also may file a complaint on the DLT website by clicking on the Equal Pay for Equal Work icon and completing the online form. While the form may be filled out anonymously, the more information provided will help DLT examine the claim.
The Governor's nominee to lead DLT, Scott R. Jensen, said, "This tip line will help our investigators find instances where employers are violating fundamental principles of fairness so we can do something about it."
DLT's Workforce Regulation and Safety team will operate the tip line, follow-up on leads, and investigate complaints. The tip line and online form may be used anonymously. Staff is trained on how to handle anonymous calls.
Rhode Island Law gives DLT the authority to enforce equal pay between the sexes across the board. Wage discrimination based on gender violates the law regardless of whether the victim is a man or a woman. If a man files a pay disparity complaint, DLT would investigate to find out if the action triggering the complaint was based on gender.
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