The Gender Wage Gap: What To Do If You Think You Aren’t Being Paid Fairly
Credit: © fotomek – Fotolia.com
We have read the stories and statistics about the gender wage gap, and that despite the many strides women have made in the workforce,women only make 77 cents for every dollar a man makes (and the gap is even larger among women of color and single mothers). Unfortunately, there isn’t a quick fix to this issue, but we had a very enlightening conversation with employment attorney Christopher Davis, partner at Stoll, Glickman & Bellina, to find out what you can do if you think you aren’t being paid fairly – with or without the assistance of an attorney.
TSR: In 1963 women were earning 59 cents for every dollar a man made and President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act. 5 years ago today, in 2009, President Obama signed the Equal Pay for Equal Work Bill (the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act). What do these two bills really amount to for working women?
Christopher Davis: The issue of equal pay is one that we, as employment attorneys, see often. Unequal pay is endemic, you see it in every industry, and every person that comes through our door has a story.
The 1963 bill establishes, that if you have same qualifications or better and were not getting compensated appropriately, you could get damages for the differences. There were problems with enforceability and the statute of limitations, so if you have an ongoing pay-gap, the issue was when the clock started ticking. So Lilly Ledbetter brought a case against Goodyear and she lost, in appeal, because the law said the employer’s original discriminatory pay decision had to have occurred
5 Barriers Women Face When Negotiating Compensation
© Andres Rodriguez – Fotolia.com It’s no secret that men are often paid more than women. However, each year women leave millions of potential earnings on the table due to lack of negotiation. Many reasons why women avoid negotiations are rooted in societal expectations. Here are some of the barriers we face and how to get around them to get paid what you’re worth. 1. Fear of rejection. Women are