How To Prevent "Double Jeopardy" From Jeopardizing Your Success

Double-jeopardy is attached and it's not the legal kind...

Several weeks ago I read a great LinkedIn article by Marianne Cooper that highlighted findings on gender bias in STEM fields. The focus of the article was a report published by Tools for Change in STEM which confirmed that gender bias does in fact exist in STEM fields. 

While I'm grateful that the study was performed and that Marianne brought additional visibility to the topic, I thought to myself - why do I need a study to validate what I already know to be true? 

Then I read (and reread) many of the details.

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The current body of social psychological work on gender bias has focused almost exclusively on the experiences of White women...

Double-Jeopardy? Gender Bias Against Women in Science (pg. 4)

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When I read that statement, I was glued to the report for the duration. I had to know more about what women of all types were revealing. For certain my personal and professional experiences would mirror those expressed by 60 scientists almost verbatim regardless of race or color, right? Almost - the report at once confirmed my experiences and enlightened me about how difficult this topic can be to examine.

Please Note!

The study's findings warrant a detailed examination by all professional women who are either just beginning their careers or who are well-underway - along with their leaders. While the study focuses on STEM careers, these same types of challenges are experienced in other professions as well. 

Because of reports like this one, today's career women have new opportunities to prepare effectively before they have to do battle as STEM leaders. It's a battlefield out there and that fact shouldn't be understated. Everyone should know what they're facing - and then do it anyway.

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You have to be okay with being ostrasized in every way

Double-Jeopardy? Gender Bias Against Women in Science (pg. 48)

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Though there are many efforts in progress to improve professional workplaces, there's a need for everyone in leadership to roll up their (our) sleeves and do whatever they (we) can to help resolve these challenges post haste.

As was so eloquently stated by Alibaba's CEO Jack Ma, "...one of the secrets of our success is that we have a lot of women." Many leaders and reports continue to point out that success in the 21st century requires more women actively engaged everywhere - especially in STEM. 

The 21st century keeps calling. Are we going to answer for gender equality in STEM or are we sending the call to voice mail? I predict that we will continue to answer the call.


Double-Jeopardy Bias Patterns Defined

Four STEM field bias patterns were examined (plus a short mention of sexual harassment) against the back drop of previous and current research. Bias categories include:

• [1] Prove-It-Again
• [2] The Tightrope
• [3] The Maternal Wall
• [4] Tug of War
• [5] Sexual Harrassment (mentioned)

[1] Prove-It-Again refers to the persistent need to reinforce one's competence and capabilities even though both have already been consistently demonstrated.

[2] The Tightrope is that space between exhibiting caretaker behavior on the one hand and standing up for one's self on the other.

[3] The Maternal Wall occurs when a woman's commitment to her job responsibilities is questioned after motherhood even if she keeps up with her duties while managing her family.

[4] Tug of War highlights that both women and men show bias against women in male dominated fields and situations.

[5] Sexual Harrassment (mentioned) as legally defined simply must not be tolerated. Period.

So what is double-jeopardy in the STEM context?

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Definition of STEM double-jeopardy:

Risk or disadvantage incurred from two sources simultaneously as in race and gender or race and age or gender and age

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Resolution? Metrics-Driven Bias Interruptors

Recommendations in the report include the implementation of Metrics-Driven Bias Interruptors (see pg. 49 of the report) along with best-practices in recruitment, hiring, promotions, and tenure activities. These are sound ways to move forward in any organization or company, but can often take a while for results to show. After you review the report, encourage your teams and leaders to do the same in order to leverage its insights to build bridges towards the future.

While there is still much more to be done everywhere, the U.S. is currently positioned at 20 of 142 countries benchmarked according to the Global Gender Gap Index with a score of 0.746. Index categories include:

• [1] Economic Participation and Opportunity
• [2] Educational Attainment
• [3] Health and Survival
• [4] Political Empowerment

Source: Global Gender Gap Report 2014 (pg. 364)

Okay - now that we have reports, numbers, perspectives, and context - what's next? We use the insights to build bridges towards successful outcomes.

I started out in male-dominated fields because I was interested in male-dominated subjects and no one stopped me - at least not for long. As a child I loved to play with bugs and mud pies in the back yard or I would examine squishy things in creek beds close to our home. Dad would often say to me "act like a lady" if I was climbing a tree or doing something else that was considered boyish. That's exactly what I was doing. I was acting like a STEM lady by exploring the world around me. 

I was curious about the inner workings of things so whenever I got a chance I would probe. I haven't stopped probing since and I never will. One has to be firm in their commitment to make a difference in STEM - or in any area of their choosing. 

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We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves 

We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained

Marie Curie, First Woman to Win Nobel Prize (Only 2-Time Winner)

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How To Prevent Double-Jeopardy from Jeopardizing Your Success

If you're considering a role in a STEM field or are already in one, you're doing your part so here are some ways to prevent double-jeopardy from jeopardizing your success.

• [1] Prove-It-Again and Again - Do what you love and love what you do! There's a tremendous price to pay for shying away from an area because others don't want you there. If your passion and talents lead you to a specific field - scientific or otherwise, go there with all due haste. #YOLO (you only live once)! Surround yourself with a positive team of influencers, sponsors, mentors, coaches, and supporters who will help you to navigate. Don't go it alone! Make your success in STEM a team effort.

• [2] Walk the Tightrope Backwards and in High Heels - Nurture strong positive attributes such as assertiveness, confidence, kindness, and ambition daily. Focus on your career trajectory and on being a positive influence on and with others. "Square off" when necessary if someone is being beligerant or deliberately jerkish to you. Otherwise play nice in the STEM sand box, but don't allow others to walk on you.

• [3] Build Bridges Across The Maternal Wall - Becoming a mother doesn't guarantee you a sideline seat unless that's what you want. Evaluate your circumstances and make the best choices for you, for your child(ren), and for your family. If the company where you work doesn't support you having or raising valuable human beings, then find a new company! Better yet, build a new one.

• [4] Get On The Right Side of The Tug of War Rope - Working with women (or men) can be frought with challenges if there are feelings of insecurity in the mix. When it comes to gender strength, team up with professional women to build strong "pink links" and expand your network based on your strategic plan. Don't have a strategic plan? Build one. Know your game and play it well. Let others play their own game.

• [5] Don't Tolerate Sexual Harrassment - Period. End of story. Document, report, and move on if the issues aren't resolved right away in any environment where you find yourself. It may be a financial or professional inconvenience, but what price can you put on your self-worth or on your physical well-being? Remember your career will be over some day, but you will still be you.

Alrighty then - it's time to move forward. Lace 'em up and get ready for the climb! It won't be easy, but then nothing worthwhile ever is.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my article. If you would like to read more, just click on this link. Leave your relevant comments in the section below and let's keep the dialog going.

A Day Long and Less Than a Dollar Short

Yes - it's true. A dollar is a dollar!

The issues around pay equity are complex for sure, but it's clear that our economy suffers greatly as a result of the pay gap between women and men. Most of us don't grow up thinking that we want women to earn less than men for equal work - or that we want the actual work performed by women to be devalued in aggregate tracking. Many of us probably don't even think about it perhaps assuming that it's just so wrong that it doesn't make sense to consider it. Yet it's happening. Women end up at less than a dollar short for long days at work - and at home.

On average women spend ~1800 hours per year working a paid job where the average pay is less than men's. Once the work day is over, women also carry the load for their families at home. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women devote more than 110 million hours a year to unpaid interactive child care - more than double the amount of time spent by men in these same areas. The effort at home doesn't yet factor into economic evaluations, but shouldn't it?

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If women received pay equal to their male counterparts, the U.S. economy would produce $447.6 billion in additional income

The Shriver Report (2014)

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Beyond the Working Years

The economic impact of unequal pay cascades throughout a woman's lifecycle and causes challenges well beyond the working years. Based on data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), women live long and prosper with an average age of 81.1 years compared to men's 76.3 years yet the adverse impact of pay inequality carried forward is doubled for women.

The Social Security Administration shows more optimistic longevity data noting that:

• Women who reach 65 today can expect to live until 86 on average
• Men who reach 65 today can expect to live until 84 on average
• For 65-year-olds today - ~25% of will live past age 90; ~10% will live past age 95

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The median income for women over 65 was approximately 25 percent lower than men’s over the last decade, with a poverty rate for women at 2X higher than men's in 2010

United States Government Accountability Office (2012)

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Avoid Poverty Now - and Later

What if pay equity wasn't an issue? Data from the Institute for Women's Policy Research shows a dramatic decrease in poverty if pay was equalized based on:

• same number of hours worked
• same age
• same educational attainment
• same urban/rural status
• same region of the country

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The poverty rate would decrease by 50% if women earned the same as men!

The Institute for Women's Policy Research (2014)



 

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Moving Forward

With laws in place to ensure equal pay for equal work and increasing awareness of the challenges caused by the status quo, barriers to pay equity will begin to fall away as more people take an active role in changing the future. To move forward we must continue to:

• Increase Awareness - seek first to understand and then to change what doesn't work. Don't assume that everyone is aware of the details around pay equity. Leverage your knowledge and applicable laws as necessary.
• Equal Pay Act of 1963
• Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967
• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
• Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009
• The Paycheck Fairness Act (Pending)

• Speak Up - secrecy leads to the persistence of stubborn pay gaps due to lack of visibility. Dig in and understand fair market rates by role, gender, education, location, experience, skills, effort, and responsibility (i.e. know what's fair based on your value proposition?)

• Challenge Perceptions - a dollar is a dollar and it should be viewed as such. Once you know your market value, prepare to negotiate for top dollar and be creative when promoting your capabilities.

• Hold Employers Accountable - don't be afraid to challenge employers when discrepancies are found. That's what the laws are for! Concerns have been expressed that additional legislation in this area will tie up the courts with frivolous law suits. Rubbish! If pay is going wrong, then use all available avenues to help make it right!

• Redefine the Value of Work - All of It! - people are the core infrastructure of the economy thus work 'with' people (i.e. families) should be included in economic evaluations.

Our future is in our hands - so let's take care of us!

A Dollar Is A Dollar - Or Is It?

Pay equity certainly has people talking these days which is a good thing, right? We have an opportunity to understand, reevaluate, and equalize something as simple as the definition of a dollar between men and women. After all a dollar is a dollar - or is it?

The composite figure cited by the White House as $0.77 earned by women versus $1.00 earned by men brings up many questions - and much angst. Sure there are reasons for pay differences, but the bottom line is there are gaps where there shouldn't be. We might get a headache from looking at the details, but that's where the devil is so let's go there - to the details.

 

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Tracking and Reporting Pay Equity

Highlights of Women's Earnings - a report published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics - tracks the history of pay equity from 1979 forward. The latest report was published in 2012. Data captured in the report (the head-splitting kind) includes major categories such as age, race, ethnicity, education, occupation, parental status, location, and hours worked - plus data tables.

 

Does each of these factors make a difference in pay equity? If so, how much of a difference does each one make? Do these factors explain why a dollar doesn't equal a dollar for women and men - when all factors are equal? Answers in order are: yes - it depends - NO!

 

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Women's Earnings as a Percentage of Men's (1979 - 2012) shows the gap closing, but there's still a ways to go. Notice the dip approaching 2012. Definitely moving in the wrong direction.

 

 

 

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Median Usual Weekly Earnings (2012) shows a more granular view of gaps - most significant among White and Asian populations, but still not winning any stars for other segments of the population.

 

 

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Percent Change in Constant Dollar Weekly Earnings (1979 - 2012) shows that education makes a significant difference in pay. However, the spread for Bachelor's Degree or Higher is 11.1% favoring men.

 

 

 

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Distribution of Full-Time Wage and Salary Workers (2012) shows the types of occupations held by women and men. Women carry a majority the work load in all areas (based on population) except Sales, Natural Resources, Construction, Maintenance and Production, Transportation, Material Moving. This view makes pay equity even more critical.

 

 

 

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Equal Pay for Equal Work

 

The Equal Pay Act (EPA) was signed on June 10, 1963, but we seem to be stuck 50 years later. The law permits differences in pay for "seniority, merit, quantity or quality of production, or a factor other than sex." Considerations for equal pay for equal work include skill, effort, responsibility, working conditions, and establishment.

 

The EPA requirements are reasonable and insightful so why is it so difficult for companies in aggregate to comply?

 

To be continued...