India

Same Job Doesn’t Always Mean Same Salary: Supreme Court

Published: 17 September 2026 · 1 min read

What Happened

The Supreme Court ruled that the principle of “equal pay for equal work” cannot be applied mechanically just because employees perform similar duties. The Court said workers seeking pay parity must also show parity in experience, qualifications and recruitment process.

Key Takeaways

The ruling reinforces that employers can legally offer different pay scales when employees have different experience levels or service backgrounds. The Court upheld higher pay for promoted teachers in Kerala, noting that prior service experience is a valid basis for pay differentiation.

Sources

Barandbench, Livelaw