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!
TAGS: Pay Disparity, Political skills, Women and Money
I just wrote a comment (below) in response to Carol’s important post. Salary inequity is a problem that can haunt you your entire career — especially if you believe others will consider you a “loose canon” if you try to rectify it. There are few things that can’t be explored and even challenged at work if you do so in politically astute ways. I wrote The Secret Handshake and It’s All Politics to help people with that part. If you’re petulant or constantly perturbed instead of observant and astute, it’s difficult to change anything. Carol is absolutely right about finding ways to learn where your salary stands and raises too. You have to know your worth and assert it. Otherwise other people take advantage — one of those human nature things!
TAGS: Communication Skills, Pay Disparity, Political skills, salary
Marci Alboher’s Shifting Careers New York Times blog post last week cited the same Penelope Trunk blog post mentioned here regarding transparency with regard to compensation. Marci wrote:
A few months ago, I went to hear Gloria Steinem speak. She said many memorable things, including this: If women were more willing to reveal their salaries to one another, they would make strides in eliminating the gender gap in wages.
She then asked for readers who are in situations where their salaries are either “published” or reasonably transparent to comment. As you can imagine, a lively discussion ensued. Themes I noted:
- people who work in environments where compensation information is available are fine with it — it doesn’t seem to bother them except when they feel that coworkers are taking advantage of the protection they have as a result of being unionized or government workers
- many believe that secrecy benefits the company (whose managers may be making subjective decisions free from scrutiny) and those who are highly paid, disadvantaging others including women
- lots of people just don’t want to know — the idea that a coworker who produces less is being paid more cause all kinds of problems for them.
Yet, knowledge is power. Research shows that women who have solid data can more effectively negotiate for themselves. While you may not be comfortable asking your colleagues how much money they make, do your homework. Some sites to check:
Also, consider other ways to scout for information. Check, for example, to see if there is a salary survey published for your industry. Also take a look at job message boards (Vault is one of my favorites). Join an industry association where you’ll be able to meet other people who do the same sort of work that you do. You don’t have to ask them straight out how much money they make; instead, position your inquiry as a more general question, for example, “What information can you share with me about the salary range for my position at your company?”
One of the readers commented that in Norway there is complete transparency with regard to earnings - evidently there is a database where income (and the amount of tax paid!) is available. Hmmm, maybe we have to move there to close the gender gap in pay?
TAGS: Equal pay, Marci Alboher, negotiating pay, Pay Disparity, Penelope Trunk
I’ve often thought it odd that people seem to be more reluctant to talk about their income than their sex lives-but that may be changing. The NY Times reported yesterday that young people are more likely to share information about salary information (see Not-So-Personal Finance). This trend is good news for women; the more women know about what others are making, the more likely they are to ask for what they are worth.
As you may know, the gender gap in pay affects not only older women but younger women as well. For example, starting salaries of men with MBAs are 7.6% higher than those for women. Only 7% of women, but 57% of men asked for more money; those who negotiated increased starting salaries by 7.4%.
One of the things that makes the difference for women is good information. So, keep up the sharing!
TAGS: differences between women and men, Fairness at work, financial planning, gaining confidence, negotiating pay, negotiation skills, Pay Disparity, Women at Work, women's equality
You may have seen the NBC series on the differences between men and women. One segment: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22707660#22710673
provided data that within one year after graduating from college women earned as much as 20% less than men with the same education, background, etc. So the next time someone asks me, “But don’t you think women have come a long way?” I’m going to tell them, “Obviously not far enough if in 2008 pay disparity still exists.”
TAGS: differences between women and men, Equal pay, Pay Disparity
