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Archive for the ‘Equal Pay Day’ Category

Nowhere Near Equal: Reflections on Equal Pay Day

Posted by YWM on April 17, 2012

 by Kathy Groob,
Publisher ElectWomen Magazine

Tonight I’ll be speaking to the Coshocton Ohio Chapter of The Business & Professional Women’s Organization in honor of Equal Pay Day. The National Committee on Pay Equity first initiated Equal Pay Day in 1996. It’s always on a Tuesday, to represent how far into the workweek women have to work in order to earn what men earn for equal work. Because women on average earn less than men, they must work longer to earn the same amount of pay.

Women who work full time earn about 77 cents for every dollar men earn. Compared to white men, African American women make 70 cents on the dollar (African American men make 74 cents); Hispanic or Latina women make about 60 cents (Hispanic men make almost 66 cents).

The National Committee on Pay Equity, along with hundreds of women’s organizations across the globe believe that equal pay for equal work is a simple matter of justice for women.

Wage discrimination impacts the economic security of families today and directly affects retirement security as women look down the road.

But despite the Equal Pay Act and many improvements in women’s economic status over the past 48 years, wage discrimination still persists and is attributable in part to the Equal Pay Act’s limited scope. Not only does it fail to cover wage discrimination based on race (although Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act does), it also fails to provide equal pay for jobs that are comparable but not identical. Further, it excludes part-time or contingent workers, and does not allow groups of workers to file class action suits.

I’ve spent over 30 years as a businesswoman and have my fair share of stories about feeling discriminated against, undervalued for the results I was producing, and being paid less than what I was worth. Until I left to run for the Kentucky Senate, I was a Vice President at a large real estate development and construction firm. I was the first female at the executive level in my company and working in an industry that was heavily dominated by men.

Most days I was the only female in meetings and attending industry events. Over time I was able to make positive changes for the women in the organization and helped recruit other women at leadership levels.

The National Committee on Equal Pay has a website and on it is a list of suggestions for what employers and individuals can do to promote equal pay for women.

One of the items for individuals is to contact your state legislators and members of Congress asking them to support equal pay legislation.

But with the majority of those state legislative and Congressional members being men, how much of a priority will it be for them to level the playing field for men?

Without enough women in elected office, women in business, women in law enforcement, education, health care and even in the entertainment and movie businesses, we will continue to be under valued and under paid.

Until we are fully represented at the highest levels in this country, women must band together, support each other and work to advance women in the workplace and in politics. When one woman succeeds, we all succeed.

Information provided by the National Committee on Equal Pay.

Posted in Equal Pay, Equal Pay Day, Gender Discrimination, Pay Equity | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

On Equal Pay Day, Step Up or Step Out of the Way

Posted by YWM on April 17, 2012

By Deborah L. Frett
CEO, Business and Professional Women’s Foundation

Deborah L. Frett, BPW Foundation CEO

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics:

  • Female high school graduates are more likely than male graduates to have taken geometry, algebra II, pre-calculus, biology, and chemistry.
  • Females are more likely than their male classmates to participate in music or performing arts, belong to academic clubs, work on the school yearbook or newspaper, or participate in student government.

And last year The White House’s Women in America Report noted that those trends continue in college:

  • Greater percentages of females attend college.
  • Females are more likely to attend and graduate from college without dropping out.
  • Females are more likely to earn a graduate school degree.

And the 2010 “Women in the Labor Force: A Databook,” compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reflects similar developments in the workforce:

  • Women account for 51 percent of all people employed in management, professional, and related occupations, somewhat more than their share of total employment (47 percent).
  • The increase in female managers coming to the table with undergraduate and graduate degrees is greater than the increases in male managers.

So, are you ready for reality?

  • Women earn 77 percent of what men earn.
  • Equal Pay Day, which signifies the point into the year that a woman must work to earn what a man made, falls on Tuesday, April 17 this year.

Wait, what? That’s right; and it’s not what you were expecting, is it?

Truth be told, we should expect more for our working women, and they should get more. Nearly 50 years ago, when the Equal Pay Act of 1963 brought pay parity for women to the national forefront, critics argued that women simply did not have the same educational background as men, and therefore did not merit the same wages. Well, instead of coming a long way, baby, it seems we have come full circle.

Today’s critics of equal pay argue that men as a group earn higher wages in part because men dominate blue collar jobs, which are more likely to require payments for overtime work. In contrast, women comprise more of the salaried white collar management workforce that is often exempted from overtime laws.

We were told that we didn’t have enough education to merit equal pay then, and now our educational achievements are the cause of the disparity. Well, the critics want it both ways. The Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have toughened legal action against discriminating employers, still hasn’t been passed by the Congress. Many  businesses continue to oppose it, citing that new legislation is unnecessary, redundant, and would simply lead to unfair lawsuits against employers.

Equal Pay DayThen why, nearly 50 years later, has the wage gap only improved by only half a cent per year? In 1963, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity, “women working full-time and year-round earned on average 59 cents for every dollar earned by men. A woman now earns 77 cents for every man’s dollar.” At that rate, it will take nearly another half-century for women to earn a fair wage.

In that same time frame, women have made tremendous strides and are more likely than males to enter the workforce with degrees from high school, college, and graduate school. It makes good financial sense for businesses to invest in attracting and retaining the best talent by offering equal and fair compensation and benefits.  Many forward looking businesses recognize that eliminating pay differentials makes good business sense and that pay equity can help with competitiveness, worker retention and productivity.

It’s time for all of America’s business community to step up with fair pay, or step out of the way of legislation like the Paycheck Fairness Act that will help ensure pay equity. I call on all businesses, on Equal Pay Day this year, to review compensation packages and address the inequality. We can help.

BPW Foundation encourages employers to recognize and reward the skills and contributions of working women. The Employer Pay Equity Self-Audit was developed to assist employers in analyzing their own wage-setting policies and establishing consistent and fair pay practices for all. It can be found on the BPW Foundation website.  The Equal Opportunities Commission also offers an Equal Pay Self Audit Kit.

It’s the right thing to do for your employees. It’s the smart thing to do for your business.

Don’t let another year go by for working women — and their families — who are doing more for less. We held up our end of the bargain and came to the workforce better prepared and more skilled. Now it’s your turn: make sure you offer equal pay for equal work.

This articles was adapted from a piece that first appeared on the Huffington Post, April 11, 2011

Posted in Equal Pay, Equal Pay Day | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Huffington Post: On Equal Pay Day, Step Up or Step Out of the Way

Posted by deborahfrett on April 12, 2011

According to the last study by the National Center for Educational Statistics:

  • Female high school graduates are more likely than male graduates to have taken geometry, algebra II, pre-calculus, biology, and chemistry.
  • Females are more likely than their male classmates to participate in music or performing arts, belong to academic clubs, work on the school yearbook or newspaper, or participate in student government.

Last month, The White House’s Women in America Report noted that those trends continue in college:

  • Greater percentages of females attend college.
  • Females are more likely to attend and graduate from college without dropping out.
  • Females are more likely to earn a graduate school degree.

And the 2010 “Women in the Labor Force: A Databook,” compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reflects similar developments in the workforce:

  • Women account for 51 percent of all people employed in management, professional, and related occupations, somewhat more than their share of total employment (47 percent).
  • The increase in female managers coming to the table with undergraduate and graduate degrees is greater than the increases in male managers.

So, are you ready for reality?

  • Women earn 77 percent of what men earn.
  • Equal Pay Day, which signifies the point into the year that a woman must work to earn what a man made, falls on Tuesday, April 12 this year.

Wait, what? That’s right; and it’s not what you were expecting, is it?

Equal Pay DayTruth be told, we should expect more for our working women, and they get more. Nearly 50 years ago, when the Equal Pay Act of 1963 brought pay parity for women to the national forefront, critics argued that women simply did not have the same educational background as men, and therefore did not merit the same wages. Well, instead of coming a long way, baby, it seems we have come full circle.

Today’s critics of equal pay argue that men as a group earn higher wages in part because men dominate blue collar jobs, which are more likely to require payments for overtime work. In contrast, women comprise more of the salaried white collar management workforce that is often exempted from overtime laws.

We were told that we didn’t have enough education to merit equal pay then, and now our educational achievements are the cause of the disparity. Corporate America wants it both ways. Last December, the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have toughened legal action against discriminating employers, narrowly failed to pass Congress. With few exceptions, business opposed it, citing that new legislation is unnecessary, redundant, and would simply lead to unfair lawsuits against employers. In a June 21, 2010 letter to U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag, the Business Roundtable wrote, “The Paycheck Fairness Act … would open companies to potentially crippling employment litigation without adding significant benefit to workers, since current law already addresses the discrimination issue.”

Then why, nearly 50 years later, has the wage gap only improved by only half a cent per year? In 1963, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity, “women working full-time and year-round earned on average 59 cents for every dollar earned by men. A woman now earns 77 cents for every man’s dollar.” At that rate, it will take nearly another half-century for women to earn a fair wage.

In that same time frame, women have made tremendous strides and are more likely than males to enter the workforce with degrees from high school, college, and graduate school. It makes good financial sense for businesses to invest in attracting and retaining the best talent by offering equal and fair compensation and benefits.

It’s time for America’s business community to step up with fair pay, or step out of the way of legislation like the just re-introduced Paycheck Fairness Act that will help ensure pay equity. I urge you, on Equal Pay Day this year, to review your compensation packages and address the inequality. We can help.

BPW Foundation encourages employers to recognize and reward the skills and contributions of working women. The Employer Pay Equity Self-Audit was developed to assist employers in analyzing their own wage-setting policies and establishing consistent and fair pay practices for all. It can be found on the BPW Foundation website:

It’s the right thing to do for your employees. It’s the smart thing to do for your business.

Don’t let another year go by for working women — and their families — who are doing more for less. We held up our end of the bargain and came to the workforce better prepared and more skilled. Now it’s your turn: make sure you offer equal pay for equal work.

First appeared on the Huffington Post, April 11, 2011

Posted in Equal Pay, Equal Pay Day, Pay Equity, Wage Gap | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

 
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