Hamilton County Pay Equity Commitment
The Hamilton County Pay Equity Commitment is a voluntary, employer-led initiative to help close the gender wage gap in Hamilton County.
Who it Impacts
The Pay Equity Commitment will have a direct, positive impact on Hamilton County employers who choose to sign the commitment, their employees - particularly girls of working age, women, and those who are transgender, nonbinary, or gender-nonconforming - and the community at large.
Why the Initiative
This initiative is a continuation of the work conducted by the 2018, 2019, and 2020 Pay Equity Committees of the Commission on Women & Girls. A key recommendation of the 2020 Pay Equity Committee was that the Commission on Women & Girls should develop and launch a 'Pay Equity Pledge' to help local employers take proactive measures to address the systemic issue of pay inequity and close gender and racial pay gaps. In 2020 and 2021, the Pay Equity Committee developed what is now known as the Hamilton County Pay Equity Commitment. The 2021 Pay Equity Committee further refined the commitment and began circulating it to key employers in Hamilton County.
This year’s 2022 Pay Equity Committee has recommended to the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners establish an annual Pay Equity Signing Day during Women's History Month (March) and begin hosting events such as "lunch & learns" to educate local employers about pay equity.
To view a list of all of the Committee's most recent recommendations, please visit our 2023 Final Report here.
What Happens When We Close the Pay Gap
Closing the pay gap doesn't just benefit women - it also benefits the entire economy. If women were paid fairly, the poverty rate could be cut in half, and an estimated $512.6 billion could be injected into the U.S. economy, according to the Institute for Women's Policy Research.
Adoption of the Hamilton County Pay Equity Commitment
In 2021, when the Hamilton County Pay Equity Commitment was developed using the Columbus Commitment as a model - providing employers with specific next steps to help close gender- and race-based pay gaps. This was also a recurring theme in our survey of local working women. To that end, the Pay Equity Commitment outlines more than a dozen recommended actions, ranging from conducting regular pay audits to tracking promotion rates by gender and race.
To date, we have distributed the commitment to over 80 local employers. Each year, there is a continued interest from the community, and we look forward to receiving commitments from many more. The continuing success of the Pay Equity Commitment - and progress toward closing the pay gap - depends on the support of our local employers and community at-large.
Interested in learning more about Pay Equity?
Click here to download 2023 Hamilton County Commission on Women & Girls Report & Recommendations
Ready to Sign the Commitment?
Click here to download the Hamilton County Pay Equity Commitment
Have Questions? Contact:
Mary Maune
Program Coordinator
Hamilton County Commission on Women & Girls
[email protected]