Hodgson v. Robert Hall Clothes, Inc.
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
473 F.2d 589 (1973)
- Written by Tammy Boggs, JD
Facts
The clothing store Robert Hall Clothes, Inc. (Robert Hall) (defendant) had separate men’s and women’s departments, staffed by salesmen and saleswomen, respectively. Salespeople received a base salary and incentive payments for additional sales. The merchandise sold in the men’s department had a substantially higher profit margin. Salespeople in the men’s department sold more merchandise on average in terms of dollars and produced more gross profit per hours of work. There was no dispute that the company properly permitted only men to work in the men’s department. However, salesmen always received higher salaries than saleswomen. The government (plaintiff) alleged that Robert Hall discriminated against saleswomen in violation of the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The district court found that salesmen and saleswomen performed equal work selling clothes, yet their wage differential was justified due to the greater economic benefits conferred by salesmen. The government appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Hunter, III, J.)
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