Bill seeks to allow women to sue employers for non-monetary discrimination

Bill adds article to Equal Pay for Female and Male Workers Law to allow workers facing discrimination to receive damages.

By LAHAV HARKOV
ALIZA LAVIE 370 (photo credit: REUTERS)
ALIZA LAVIE 370
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Women who faced discrimination in the work place will be able to sue for "non-monetary harm," if a bill Knesset Committee for the Advancement of Women chairwoman Aliza Lavie (Yesh Atid) passes.
Lavie's proposal will be brought to a vote in the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday and the coalition MK says she expects it to pass.
"The attempt to quantify the damage caused by discrimination in monetary values failed and lawsuits failed to bring numbers proving monetary harm that will ensure female workers are paid damages," the Yesh Atid MK said.
The bill adds an article to the Equal Pay For Female and Male Workers Law, which allows a worker who faced gender discrimination to sue for non-monetary damages in cases that the worker's professional standing or dignity is harmed. A similar article is already included in the Equal Opportunities at Work Law.
"The Equal Pay Law meant to guarantee female and male workers are paid the same is a failure. Every time we check facts on the ground, women on average make only 66 percent of what men make each month," Lavie explained.
The MK said a bill is necessary that will allow workers facing discrimination to receive the damages they deserve.
"Today, a worker can sue her employer, but the possibility to sue for non-monetary damage, meaning for harm to her dignity and professional standing, will expand the possibility to help female workers facing discrimination," Lavie added. "It will deter workers from discriminating in this way and increase public awareness of the meaning of discrimination and its social repercussions."