Equal Pay Receives Push From President
President Obama announced several important measures designed to even the playing field between men and women in terms of pay early last month. The announcement occurred on April 8th, a day known as “Equal Pay Day” given that it marks the point that women would have to work to earn the same wage as men earned in 2013.
Studies have shown that women earn, on average, 77 percent of what men earn. Critics argue that this number does not reflect differences in careers, degrees and other factors. However, even when these factors are included, a gap still exists. Another survey that specifically accounted for these differences found that women earned seven percent less than their male counterparts only one year after college graduation, a point early enough in their career that outside factors should not yet have played a role.
Though seven percent may not be as bad as 23 percent, the reality is that a gap does exist and that the gap needs to be closed. One number that made a big splash a few weeks ago revealed that even in the Obama White House there was a pay gap, with female staffers earning 88 percent of what average male staffers earned. No one could dispute that men and women deserve equal pay for equal work, something that the recent legislation is designed to ensure.
The measure, known as the Paycheck Fairness Act, does two things. First, it prohibits federal contractors from retaliating against workers for discussing their salaries. Second, it requires the Labor Department to collect and publish statistics regarding pay according to gender among federal contractors.
The law aimed at ending the silence over pay is seen as especially important for workers. Currently, there are many companies that have strict polices preventing workers from sharing their wages with one another. Many say that if salaries are revealed, termination can result. Should the new measure pass, workers would no longer need to fear such harsh punishment for simply discussing pay levels.
Though neither proposal will impact the broader workforce, the hope is that they both contribute to transparency with regard to pay. By allowing for a more open and honest conversation about wages among employees, it will force employers to pay everyone fairly or risk having their bias exposed for the world to see. The belief is that sunshine, in the form of open information, serves as the best disinfectant.
Source: “Obama Signs Measures to Help Close Gender Gap in Pay,” by Peter Baker, published at NYTimes.com on April 8, 2014.
Source: “Views You Can Use: The Politics of Equal Pay Day,” by Teresa Welsh, published at USNews.com on April 8, 2014.
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