Despite the fact that the Equal Pay Act has been in force since 1963, many problems inevitably arise in the administration of equal pay laws (Fisher). It is estimated that at the current slow pace of closing the gender pay gap, it will not be until 2068 when men's and women's salaries are equalized. It is clear that commercial arguments, like legislative arguments, have an important role to play (Commission policy report). Certain factors hinder or slow down equal pay between men and women. These include behavioral factors, corporate culture and policies, human resource practices, and social and environmental factors (Giapponi and McEvoy, 2006). Behavioral factors are linked to lack of awareness of pay inequalities. Women are not aware of or don't care about pay inequity due to personal statements. According to the National Committee on Pay Equity, the behavioral factor is very important for pay inequity (Giapponi and McEvoy, 2006). Social norms that view discussing or questioning the salaries of others as inappropriate and company policies that discourage or prohibit such discussions contribute to women's inability to accurately assess their pay relative to their male counterparts ( Giapponi and McEvoy, 2006). To avoid this type of awareness and ignorance on the part of women, there are four steps women can take to prevent these stereotypes from harming potential raises. Women must be understood and taught about their importance in the world of work and professional life; women must signal their desire to progress within the organization. Women should insist on a contract clause that calibrates their raises based on raises paid to men of comparable rank and at comparable companies and finally, women compile information on the salaries of comparable people...... middle of paper ...... Age gap. hbr.orgPolicy report of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. (2011). Equal pay – a good business decision. ISBN 978 1 84206 429 0Fisher, Marguerite J. Legislation on equal pay for equal work. Industrial and Labor Relations Review. October 48, vol. 2 Number 1, p50-57. 8 p.m. ISSN 0019-7939Giapponi, Catherine C. & McEvoy, Sharlene A. (2006) The Legal, Ethical, and Policy Implications of Sex Discrimination in Pay: Can the Fair Wages Act Succeed Where the Law on equal pay failed? J. Individual Employment Rights, Vol. 12(2) Pp.137-150.Lawler, EE III, (1995) The New Pay: A Strategic Approach, Compensation and Benefits Review, 27, pp. 14-23.Letter from Payroll Manager, (2013).Questions and Answers on Equal Pay.8/7/2013, Vol. 29 Number 15, p6-7. 2p.ISSN 0895-7975.The role of the human resources department in closing the gender wage gap, report of the human resources management department, pp. 1-4, June 2003.