The Truth About Equal Pay for Women
The truth is, no matter how we try to analyze it, the gender pay gap is very real, relevant, persistent and unhealthy to women’s economic security. What’s even more disturbing is that women make up almost half of the workforce, yet they continue to earn less than men on average in nearly every job. The medium annual earnings for women are $9,909 less than men’s according to data from the Census Bureau.
I remember when I got my first job offer out of college for a position in NYC, I was super excited to be living in the city of my dreams that I accepted whatever pay was offered to me. I asked no questions, and just took the offer that was presented. A year later in the role, unhappy with my pay, I started asking my male and female counterparts what they were making and realized I was severely underpaid.
I believe each one of us can help break this vicious cycle by researching the position and pay before accepting an offer, and by advocating for yourself in your current position by asking coworkers their salaries.
Even though there’s been a lot of progress recently in breaking down the wage gap discrepancy, it is estimated that the pay parity between genders won’t be reached until 2059. For women of color, it’s estimated to reach equality in 2124. Hispanic women will have to wait until 2248 to reach equality with White men (Institute for Women’s Policy Research).
Generally speaking, Black and Hispanic women are the most affected by the wage gap when compared to White men. White women earn 82 percent of what White men earn, while Black women earn 65 percent and Hispanic women earn 61 percent. Greater earnings equality will reduce poverty and improve economic security for women and their families. The harsh reality is that, women of color suffer from this wage gap due to both gender and race.
I had a discussion with a few women currently working in Corporate America on how we can break the gender wage gap.
How do you think women can break the gender pay gap and do you think it still exists today?
“I train people on behavioral and cultural concepts. People hire people that are similar to them. A lot of times there aren’t a lot of Black people to advocate to get other Black people in the doors, and I feel like that’s a big issue.
The gender gap still exists because a lot of people are nervous to ask for what they want. My advice would be to immediately ask what is the pay range. Organizations are going to pay you what they think you are worth based on the position, your experience, skill set and education.
I encourage you to ask for more if you don’t think the compensation package is accurate to your skills, but be realistic. If you ask the recruiter to negotiate more and they absolutely can’t increase the offer, you can still accept the original offer. Remember, just because you negotiate the compensation with the organization doesn’t mean you lose the original offer.”
How can women help break the pay gap cycle?
“Women can help break the cycle by speaking up. We have to know our worth in our sectors and negotiate for the pay we deserve. In addition to negotiating, we need to find male allies who are willing to speak up and share their salaries. With that information women can use it as leverage in gender discrimination cases.”
“Break the cycle by asking male allies about their wage. Black women are the lowest paid of all demographics. So it’s important to counter all wage offers. Research how much men are making in that field and ask for that.”
How can women in Corporate America get the pay they deserve?
“Wage gap exists depending on your skill level. With me owning McDonald’s, there are specific tasks that are more difficult and require a different type of skill, so sometimes people think a certain type of skill is harder for women. I think that could be an underlying reason why there is a gender gap. The advice I’d give women in a Corporate setting is to be well versed and understand what your skill level is. Also understand what the pay and asking rate is.
Allocate yourself with people in that role so they can help give you advice and guide you and don’t just segment yourself with women to women. Reach out to men to get mentorship and consult with them. I think that can help with gender gap by helping women understand what their worth is and properly ask for that. Sometimes women are happy to just be included in the workforce and might not even ask what the going rate is. And women might accept less just to get a role. However, it’s important to articulate that based on your experience level you are worth X number.”
What gave you confidence to ask for more after being in the workforce for a few years?
“It’s important to be prepared every year if your company has the process of having a salary and bonus review annually to be very prepared for that conversation. If your company doesn’t have that, schedule a meeting to have that conversation but definitely be prepared to present what you’re contributing and what you’re adding to the company.
Women don’t want to seem as difficult or as demanding, and maybe that’s why we don’t ask for more. But based on what I’ve read, it seems like men will always ask for more and I’ve always had a plan of action in place and points to back myself up. Whether that’s a number or a list of actions, that seems like a good plan and at least I feel confident. The more times you do it, the more comfortable you feel and the better you will be at doing it. We don’t have any control of the first offer but we can always counter and suggest another offer based on our research and worth.”
Let us know in the comments section below what advice you’d give to your female counterparts on breaking the gender wage gap!
