Understanding Pay Equity

Pay equity is a critical priority for C-suite and HR leaders today. There is increasing demand from both inside and outside organizations for pay systems that are fair for all. By ensuring employees are paid equitably, employers can improve morale and engagement, reduce turnover, attract top talent, accelerate workforce diversity and drive organizational success. 

HR and Rewards professionals must have a keen understanding of how to analyze, measure and resolve unwanted pay differences, as well as navigating the U.S. legal and regulatory environment surrounding pay equity. Understanding Pay Equity examines pay equity and pay gaps and their analysis, U.S legal and regulatory underpinnings, the internal and external drivers of pay decisions, and steps in a pay equity analysis process. It can be taken alone or in combination with WorldatWork’s other pay equity courses: Performing a Pay Equity Analysis and Committing to Pay Equity.

Understanding Pay Equity provides real-world examples and case studies that guide you through the impact of pay equity in organizations and offer insights into your own workplace. In addition, you’ll receive valuable WorldatWork resources, such as our Total Rewards and Path to Workplace Equity models, WorldatWork’s 2021 Pay Equity Study, and, for WorldatWork members, the guide to pay equity laws by state.

Attendees will leave this course with a greater understanding of the drivers of pay inequities and their impact on organizational success. Your organization will benefit from your engagement in

this issue and preparedness to take concrete steps to ensure an inclusive, equitable workplace for all.

Learning Outcomes 

• Become fluent in pay equity and its importance and identify factors that influence it. 
• Recognize internal and external drivers of pay equity. 
• Identify key pay equity laws in U.S. and other regions, including the reasons for their adoption. 
• Understand the main reasons for conducting a pay equity analysis, what it entails and how to prepare. 
• Be aware of how organizational rewards factor into a successful pay equity strategy.  
• Come away with valuable data sets, worksheets, references, research, publications, and tools from WorldatWork. 

Course Outline 

• Introduction to Pay Equity 
• Examining Pay Equity 
• Laws and Regulations That Drive Pay Equity: U.S. Federal
• Laws and Regulations That Drive Pay Equity: U.S. State and Global Trends 
• Organizational Rewards and the Path to Workplace Equity 
• Decisions Surrounding a Pay Equity Analysis 

Who Should Take This Course

This course is for HR professionals who are responsible for designing compensation programs and influencing pay equity outcomes in U.S.-based organizations.

This is the first course in the WorldatWork Pay Equity series: Understanding Pay Equity, Performing a Pay Equity Analysis, and Committing to Pay Equity. These courses were designed as a sequence with each course building on the concepts from the previous course(s).

Course Credits

WorldatWork Recertification: 2 credits   

CEUs: 0.2 credits   

HRCI: 1.25 classroom hours   

SHRM Recertification: 1.25 classroom hours