Wage Discrimination

Under the Panama Labor Code, wage discrimination is prohibited, particularly when based on factors such as race, gender, age, religion, nationality, or disability. This means that employers cannot offer lower wages for an equal or equivalent job on discriminatory grounds. Employees who experience wage discrimination may seek remedies through labor courts or civil courts.

Wage discrimination, under Law No. 30709, refers to any practice that leads to differences in remuneration between men and women for work of equal value, without objective and reasonable justification. This includes disparities linked to factors such as pregnancy, maternity, paternity, family responsibilities, or being a victim of violence. It can be direct (explicitly based on gender) or indirect (resulting from seemingly neutral practices that disproportionately affect one gender).

Any distinction, exclusion, or preference made on the basis of sex which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity or treatment in employment or occupation, particularly concerning remuneration. This includes direct discrimination, where a person is paid less directly because of their sex, and indirect discrimination, where a seemingly neutral practice disproportionately disadvantages one sex.

As defined in the Jordan Labour Law No. 8 of 1996, as amended by Law No. 14 of 2019, wage discrimination refers to the practice of providing unequal pay to workers for performing work of equal value, where such inequality is based on the worker's sex. This definition is central to the law's provisions on pay equity and aims to eliminate gender-based disparities in remuneration, aligning with international labour standards.