Pay discrimination based on sex is illegal under federal law, whether you work for a small business or a large company. If you're a private-sector employee in Louisiana, your claim runs through the federal Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act — not Louisiana's own equal pay statute, which applies only to public-sector employees.

At Business Law Group, our employment lawyers in New Orleans help private-sector employees understand whether a pay gap is a legal claim or simply a hard conversation worth having with HR. Contact us at (504) 446-6506 to schedule a consultation.

What Counts as an Equal Pay Violation

• A coworker of a different sex performing substantially similar work — same skill, effort, and responsibility, under similar conditions — is paid more than you
• The pay difference isn't explained by a legitimate factor like seniority, a merit system, or a quantifiable production measure
• Retaliation against you for raising the issue or comparing pay with coworkers (which is itself protected activity)

Your Rights

What This Looks Like

If You Believe You're Being Paid Unequally

1. Identify a specific comparator — a coworker of a different sex, in a similar role, whose pay you have reason to believe is higher.
2. Document your own role — responsibilities, tenure, performance history, and anything relevant to how your pay was set.
3. Note the timeline — federal equal pay claims are time-limited, so how long you've known about the gap matters.
4. Talk to an employment attorney before deciding whether this is worth pursuing — the comparator analysis is genuinely fact-specific.

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Employee FAQ — Equal Pay

Does Louisiana's Equal Pay Act cover me if I work for a private company?

No — Louisiana's state equal pay statute applies only to public-sector employees. Private-sector Louisiana employees are covered by the federal Equal Pay Act and Title VII instead, which is the framework we'd use for a private-sector claim.

What if my employer says the pay gap is about experience or performance, not gender?

That's a legitimate defense if it's true and documented — a real seniority system or merit-based pay structure can lawfully explain a difference. Whether that explanation actually holds up is often the central question in these cases.

Do I need an exact comparator, or is a general sense of unfairness enough?

You generally need a real comparator — a specific coworker of a different sex performing substantially similar work. A general sense that pay "feels" unequal, without a specific point of comparison, is a much harder case to build.

How long do I have to bring a claim?

Federal equal pay claims are subject to a limitations period, generally measured from the date of an unequal paycheck, so time matters — don't sit on this if you think you have a claim.