Nipping Pay Inequity In The Bud
I used to teach with Betty Friedan and this week I was reading through her autobiography, Life So Far. It reminded me of all women have gone through to get the right to vote and to achieve fairness in hiring and paying of women for the same work men do. We’re not there yet by a long stretch. And that seems odd. Women my age and younger, especially younger, often think that those women did what had to be done and now it’s just a matter of maintenance. If you really look though at things like the recent Supreme Court decision in the Ledbetter case determining that pay discrimination must be noticed within the first 180 days after its occurrence, you see how easily progress can slip away.
All the more reason to be aware very early on about matters of pay and merit raise increases. Sometimes that means doing research — asking people who work with you who would know pay and raise ranges. There are laws on the books to protect women from discriminatory practices, but being aware of what is going on around you all along, from before being hired, until you leave is what really can provide protection. And then there is no need to resort to legal remedies.
This is, however, where many women feel uncomfortable. They don’t want to be seen as making trouble. Well, there’s trouble and there’s trouble. One way or the other and some time or another, there usually is trouble at work so it’s best to nip what you can in the bud. Reading the tea leaves is how I refer to this talent in “The Secret Handshake.” It’s an acquired skill. But no time like the present to start practicing!
