Is it legal for an employer to pay an employee two different wages for two different roles?

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Is it legal for an employer to pay an employee two different wages for two different roles?

I work as a hygienist a secretary at a dental office in Iowa. I am paid one
wage when I work as a hygienist 28/hr and a significantly less wage when I
work as a secretary at the same office 11/hr. Is that legal? Thanks in
advance.

Asked on May 12, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, Iowa

Answers:

M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 6 years ago | Contributor

Unless you have an employment contract (or like agreement) that guarantees you a specified overall wage, it is perfectly legal to be paid 2 different rates for 2 seperate job duties. The fact is that most employment is "at will", which means that an employer can set the conditions of work much as it sees fit (absent some form of legally actionable discrimination). For your part, you can either accept the differing pay, complain but risk termination, or quit.


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