Interim Healthcare to Pay $50,000 to Settle EEOC Equal Pay Lawsuit

Female Nurses Paid Less Than Less Experienced Male Counterpart, Federal Agency Charged

CASPER, Wyo. - Interim Healthcare of Wyoming will pay $50,000 and furnish other relief to settle a pay discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

The EEOC's lawsuit charged that the company underpaid the female nurses despite their performing substantially equal work under similar working conditions. Further, despite several complaints from the female nurses and their male counterpart about the pay disparity, Interim failed to take any corrective action, the EEOC said.

Such alleged conduct violates the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, both of which prohibit discrimination in compensation on the basis of sex. The EEOC filed its lawsuit, EEOC v. Interim Healthcare of Wyoming, Inc., Civil Action No. 2:18-cv-00161-NDF, in U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming after first attempting to reach a settlement through its pre-litigation conciliation process.

Enforcement of equal pay laws and targeting compensation systems and practices that discriminate based on gender is one of six national priorities identified by the EEOC's Strategic Enforcement Plan.

"As this case once again demonstrated, enforcing the Equal Pay Act and Title VII's prohibition on compensation discrimination are priorities for the EEOC," said EEOC Phoenix District Regional Attorney Mary Jo O'Neill. "We are optimistic that this resolution is a step toward closing the pay gap in Wyoming."

Amy Burkholder, director of the EEOC's Denver Field Office, added, "This resolution is an excellent result, not only because it provides compensation to the female nurses to address past pay inequities, but also because it demonstrates that the EEOC can and will take action against employers who fail to rectify even a modest, but clear, sex-based pay disparity."

The EEOC's Phoenix District Office has jurisdiction over Arizona, Colorado, parts of New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.