"Reassigned" duties raise equal pay concerns. (Equal Pay Act).(Brief Article)

One way employers deal with layoffs, retirements, or resignations is to split up the departing employee's duties among remaining workers. When this happens, however, employers must be certain that employees are being treated fairly when it comes to wages.

After her supervisor retired, a general clerk was told if she took on some of the supervisor's duties and responsibilities, she would receive a new job title and an increase in pay. The clerk earned nearly $17,000 less than her supervisor. She agreed, but never received either the raise or the promotion. She sued the employer under the Equal Pay Act (EPA), stating that she was performing a job requiring equal skill, …