Saying Yes To Equal Pay For Employees

By Liza Landsman, Chief Customer Officer

Today, Jet.com joins Gap Inc., PepsiCo, Staples and other leading companies in signing the White House Equal Pay Pledge.

We’re proud to join this initiative in support of greater fairness in the workplace. But to be honest, equal pay at Jet is not something that keeps me up at night. Equal pay is almost a no-brainer here at Jet.

At Jet, we have institutionalized our commitment to equal pay with transparent, company-wide pay scales that ensure equal pay for all employees in a given role, regardless of gender, race, or any other factor that plays an unfortunate role in wage inequality in our country.

We know that this essential formula — equal pay for equal work — is not yet universal, and fairness for all employees doesn’t happen overnight; it must be constantly top of mind. We’re proud of the steps we’ve taken so far, but we also know that we’re not done. Fairness must be an everyday focus. Today’s pledge is a chance to reflect on our opportunities and think about what we can all be doing better.

Why Jet Signed

Why are we signing the pledge? First, because it’s hard to believe that this question of basic fairness is still an open issue in 2016, and second, because it is a critical business imperative for companies like Jet, where so many roles have historically been filled by men — from supply chain management to engineering — to ensure we create a workplace that is overtly welcoming and equitable to women.

Equal pay has been instrumental in creating a culture at Jet that reinforces the collaboration required to build a startup from the ground up, from the fulfillment centers to the c-suite. By removing the mystery and guesswork behind your co-workers’ pay, we’ve found it helps foster an environment where we all are in it together, contributing in innovative ways with the freedom and sense of empowerment to step up and share ideas.

How Jet Addresses Fairness In The Workplace

There are many companies that have successfully created a culture of trust and transparency in the workplace. Here’s how Jet has turned our core value system into a culture of empowerment:

• We defined a basic approach to fairness; equal pay for equal work via company-wide pay scales as well as granting all employees stock options in the company that are also at the same amount for everyone at a given compensation level
• We operate transparently; through a mobile app, employees and investors alike can access Jet’s performance data and key operational and financial metrics at any time
• We value life events; across all geographies and levels, Jet’s new mothers and fathers receive a 4-month parental leave
• We strive for diversity; we are constantly working to make Jet a welcoming place where everyone is treated fairly no matter the job, level or geography

What We Hope To See

We know that a totally transparent system, or a fixed pay scale, won’t work everywhere. But it works for us given our rapid growth, high levels of collaboration, and collective commitment, as not only employees but shareholders, to increasing the company’s equity value.

I hope that other companies will find their version of fairness by thinking about how they might institutionalize fair pay, whether it’s through compensation structures, hiring processes, policies, or other activities that impact your employees. It’s an issue we should all be thinking about, talking about, and most importantly, moving past talking in order to take serious action.

Our Broader Pledge

We at Jet are proud to have always been on the right side of the gender wage gap issue, but we recognize that all companies, Jet included, have more work to do in bringing fairness to the workplace.

Today, I’m thinking about what we can do better. And I hope you will, too.

Liza Landsman is the Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer of Jet.com. As Chief Customer Officer, Liza is a member of the firm’s Management Committee and has responsibility for driving growth for the firm by leading front end product development and engaging potential members at a broad level through marketing, advertising, smart use of data and ensuring Jet’s end-to-end customer experience is compelling.