Camille Olson Quoted in SHRM Online
"Ledbetter Act Adds Lengthy To-Do List for HR"

Camille Olson was quoted in the February 10, 2009 article, “Ledbetter Act Adds Lengthy To-Do List for HR,” published on SHRM Online. The article discussed how the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act will add to the workload of Human Resource executives. Camille noted that some HR executives will need to revisit their companies' entire pay systems as a result of the new law. She explained that, under the Ledbetter Act, an annual pay increase based on merit has a life until the employee no longer receives a pay check. She suggested that employers should adopt policies awarding pay based on objective factors (such as job title and years of service) to eliminate any ambiguity under the law.

Camille remarked, "A lot of HR executives are asking me if they should move from performance-related increases to lump-sum payments” so that pay won’t have a continuing effect. As noted in the article, Camille does not know of any employer that has actually made a switch to this compensation system as a result of the Ledbetter Act, and she stated that the new law "shouldn’t drive the decision. But brings the question into focus." Additionally, Camille noted that she expects litigation for “years to come” over whether promotions and demotions are covered by the law. She explained that there is “support for both sides” of the argument, and noted that the denial of sales territory arguably might affect pay.