H.B. 1192 - Equal Pay Summary

• Expands Hawaii's equal pay law to protect against compensation discrimination based on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, color, ancestry, disability, marital status, arrest record, and domestic/sexual violence victim status, not just sex.

• Changes the standard from "equal work" to "substantially similar work" when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions.

• Establishes that compensation differentials are permissible only if the employer demonstrates they result solely from non-discriminatory seniority systems, merit systems, production-based systems, or factors with neither discriminatory purpose nor effect.

• Requires employers to disclose salary ranges to job applicants at time of job listing, provide wage range information to employees upon hire and annually, and prohibits inquiring into or relying on applicants' salary history during hiring.

• Prohibits employers from reducing wages to comply with equal pay requirements and prevents retaliation against employees who discuss wages or exercise rights under the statute.