It wouldn't be the same thing if it wasn't based on job-required worksite. They don't pay you based on where you live (which is quite often a different county than the work site), but where you are assigned to work. If you have no assigned worksite, as is the case with remote work, there'd be no basis for the adjustment.

> If these large tech companies just used the US GS Scale's locality adjustment, it would be super easy and non-controversial.

Super easy, yes.

Non-controversial, no.

Unless your employer assigns your residence, it's not a difference in job duty.you are being paid for, so is not analogous to being paid for employer-assogned job site when analyzing disparate impact.