Equal Pay Is About The Future

Equal pay is about the future: Yours. Mine. Ours. (#Ask4More)

In March 2004, Congress passed Resolution 316 to recognize April as National Financial Literacy Month. Since many of us are spring cleaning our homes, closets, yards, and garages we may as well go the distance with our finances. 

Oh yeah - taxes are due as well. Yikes!

Perhaps it's no coincidence (and maybe it is) that April also captures "Equal Pay Day" as an opportunity to focus on equal pay for equal work. I wish we didn't even have to talk about this, but we do so let's get to it.

Two years ago marked the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The National Equal Pay Task Force delivered a report marking the history and progress over the years. At that time women were making on average $0.77 for every dollar paid to men. Today there has been an uptick of $0.01 to $0.78. Still no congratulations are in order as companies around the country continue to constrict women's pay.

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Source: White House Council of Economic Advisors (2014)

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If you've been following my articles you know that I could go on and on with BIG DATA details outlining how this happened, how long it's been an issue, and what we need to do to change it. Instead I'll simply say that it's wrong and we need to correct it.

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How many of us want our girls growing up in a world where their male counterparts get paid more than they do for the same work? 

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They're in diapers - together. They lose their baby teeth - together. They learn - together. They get new teeth - together. They grow up - together. Then they go out into the world that we've built for them - one where equal pay for equal work is not yet a reality. They've been robbed before they even start out on their own and they don't know it. The take-home funds are already lower than they should be because we - their parents - haven't yet resolved the dilemma of equal pay for equal work.


Future mothers will graduate in astounding numbers way above the rates for men with all types of college degrees - bachelors, masters, and PhDs. They will enter the workforce and will work extra long hours doing what they believe is necessary to shatter glass ceilings yet they will receive only a portion of the pay or promotions that their male colleagues get simply because they are female and someone decided that they should make or take less. 

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...a woman who worked full time, year round would typically lose $443,360 in a 40-year period due to the wage gap, and have to work 12 years longer than her male counterpart to make up this gap...

National Women's Law Center Report [i]

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Does this sound like insanity to you? It does to me but it's all too real...

Short of crying, screaming, or curling up in a ball on the couch it's worth it to get a chuckle when one women discovers the pay gap in this BuzzFeed video (I first saw this on Facebook's Lean In Community).

If the angelic faces of our daughters don't move us to action then we must appeal to our own self-interest. Do it for ourselves! Get this - everyone is impacted by the gender pay gap so we all must work to close it in every possible way. Here's how.

Solutions For Closing the Pay Gap

If you're anything like me you're reaching for some concrete actions that can make the bad news stop. Five areas where each of us can take action to make a difference include:

• [Action #1] Boost Your Intellect - Examine the details of pay gaps in your industry, across all industries, across the globe. Reports from reputable research agencies and organizations such as U.S. Department of Labor, Pew Research Center, Gallup, OECD, World Economic Forum, The Clinton Foundation, United Nations, and many others will give you a great boost in your knowledge.

• [Action #2] Ask For More - Know what your position is worth in your industry and market and ask for it. Most women don't negotiate because we don't know that we can. Many of us are afraid of how we will be perceived if we ask for what we deserve. Take a course in negotiations to build confidence. Get support from mentors. Decide what you want or need and move towards it.

• [Action #3] Increase Your Advocacy - Open your eyes at work. If you're a family man consider that you're being robbed by the pay gap especially if your wife is bringing home only a portion what she has rightfully earned. Advocate for gender equality in pay and in positions. Do what you can within your power to move the dial. If you're a boss - male or female - then make it happen!

• [Action #4] Update Your Policies - Restructure your policies with pay fairness as a back drop. I know this may be a novel concept for some businesses, but it must be done. Set gender-neutral base pay for all positions. Implement methods that remove gender bias from hiring practices. Share the updated policies and flat pay scales with your employees. After all there are firms like PayScale and GlassDoor who share these types of details readily.

• [Action #5] Show Your Hand - Cultures of secrecy around pay have led to gross negligence allowing pay gaps to spread and persist. Transparency will undo a significant portion of that damage. Agencies and companies who show their hand on pay find that their workers have greater success in achieving higher pay. Seems simple enough. If you know what to expect for pay then you can plot a course to get there.

Here we are with another day to reflect on Equal Pay. We've made some collective progress because our world is all abuzz with discussions and actions for tackling gender equality issues such as this one. 

As a mother of a bright pre-teen daughter I want her to have the best possible future where she can make the climb and know that she'll be rewarded for her efforts in equal measure. I'm certain that the same thing will benefit all daughters.

So let's go - let's make that future a reality. Let's ensure equal pay for equal work across all industries - like for like. Equal pay is about that future: Hers. Theirs. Ours.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my latest article. Share your insights by commenting, liking, or sharing.