Identify and correct gender pay disparities; EEOC & Congress are turning up the heat.

If you've put off taking a close look at gender pay differences among your employees, the start of 2021 is a key time to run a compensation audit.

Agencies such as the EEOC are going all out to make sure women are paid as much as men, even if the differences are small or don't last long.

Also, President Biden has signaled that championing equal pay will be a top priority.

A full 60% of employers say they are addressing pay equity in their organizations, according to a new WorldatWork survey. The most popular tool to achieve this even-pay goal: annual compensation analyses.

Federal law says men and women in the same workplace "must be given equal pay for equal work. The jobs need not be identical, but they must be substantially equal. Job content (not job titles) determines whether jobs are substantially equal."

In addition to the growing regulatory and legislative risks, employers continue to face lawsuits under the federal Equal Pay Act, sex discrimination law and related state laws.

Recent case: The EEOC accused JPMorgan Chase of "systemic...