§ 34-5-3 — Prohibition of discriminatory wage differentials; penalty for discharge of or discrimination against complainant

(a) No employer having employees subject to any provisions of this chapter shall discriminate, within any establishment in which such employees are employed, between employees on the basis of sex by paying wages to employees in such establishment at a rate less than the rate at which he pays wages to employees of the opposite sex in such establishment for equal work in jobs which require equal skill, effort, and responsibility and which are performed under similar working conditions, except where such payment is made pursuant to (1) a seniority system, (2) a merit system, (3) a system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production, or (4) a differential based on any other factor other than sex. An employer who is paying a wage rate differential in violation of this subsection shall not, in order to comply with this subsection, reduce the wage rate of any employee. (b) It shall also be unlawful for any person to cause or attempt to cause an employer to discriminate against any employee in violation of this chapter. (c) It shall be unlawful for any person to discharge or in any other manner discriminate against any employee covered by this chapter because such employee has made a complaint to his employer or any other person or has instituted or caused to be instituted any proceeding under or related to this chapter or has testified or is about to testify in any such proceedings. Any person who violates any provision of this Code section shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not to exceed $100.00.