Most of us would like to believe that employers no longer pay men more than women for doing the same job. It can be shocking to discover that wage discrimination does still exist.

A 29-year-old Ohio woman recently filed a lawsuit against Hyundai Ideal Electric Company, alleging that she suffered wage discrimination and was fired for pointing out the problem. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also filed a lawsuit against the company.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 requires employers to compensate men and women equally based on the work they provide. The former employee of Hyundai Ideal Electric says the company violated that law. She says that she noticed a salary disparity between her own pay and that of a male colleague who held the same title and was hired a couple of months after her. She was fired one day after bringing the issue up to the Human Resources manager.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regional attorney described the case as, "an example that the wage gap is alive and well in America, with the typical full-time female worker making 77 cents for every dollar earned by her male counterpart." She also said that, "Employers should take note the EEOC will not tolerate discriminatory pay practices."

Wage discrimination and wrongful termination are serious violations of employee's civil rights. The current HR manager for Hyundai Ideal Electric Company said that the company "will be defending itself in court, but it could take some time before a resolution occurs."

Source: Mansfield News Journal, "Hyundai Ideal Electric sued for alleged Equal Pay Act violation," Jami Kinton, 1 Sept 2010