The only gap I care for is The Gap. Their jeans are
comfortable on an ethereal level and their striped shirt selection is
impeccable. What I don't appreciate is the gap in wages between men's and women's earnings. I knew for a while that there was a substantial divide between the salaries of men and women but what really brought this issue to my attention was the recent unearthing of actors' and actresses' differing earnings (specifically Jennifer Lawrence's statements about her own earnings). I had no idea that this issue stretched all the way to Hollywood too, so I decided research it further. What I read definitely made me want to see change, and I believe that it's time the government intervenes with this inequality and finally establishes equal pay for both men and women, regardless of the occupation.
The fact that women are paid less than men in the year 2015 is truly ridiculous. What's even more ridiculous is how this reality is generally accepted without much fuss from the public or the government. It is the responsibility of the federal government to directly correct this problem in conjunction with companies. If an individual company cannot be trusted to pay its employees equally on its own volition, then the government needs to step in to take corrective action.
One way that companies may step up without government intervention is through a system that will allow companies to display their finances online to the public. This very interesting article from Yahoo News suggests that companies adopt a transparent salary policy that will help combat unequal pay. A transparent salary is a salary that is published online for anyone to see, which shows that the company is confident in its payment policies. I personally think this is a fantastic idea that could a) show the credibility of a company and b) raise the morale of employees and heighten the interest of potential employees. Not to mention it would be good promo/exposure for the company, as well.
This article was also informative, and it broke down the basics of the gap and provided statistics on different factors of the gap. One that I personally found really interesting was the chart displaying the differing wages by state. I was beyond surprised to learn that some states, such as Wyoming, had as much as a $16,000 annual salary difference between genders.
My hope is that in the next few years (or sooner, I'd really hope), the US can start to own up to the fact that pay inequality exists and needs to be fixed. As a very career driven person, I would hate to find out that I'm being paid less than I should be in a job that I love just because of something so inconsequential as my gender.
The fact that women are paid less than men in the year 2015 is truly ridiculous. What's even more ridiculous is how this reality is generally accepted without much fuss from the public or the government. It is the responsibility of the federal government to directly correct this problem in conjunction with companies. If an individual company cannot be trusted to pay its employees equally on its own volition, then the government needs to step in to take corrective action.
One way that companies may step up without government intervention is through a system that will allow companies to display their finances online to the public. This very interesting article from Yahoo News suggests that companies adopt a transparent salary policy that will help combat unequal pay. A transparent salary is a salary that is published online for anyone to see, which shows that the company is confident in its payment policies. I personally think this is a fantastic idea that could a) show the credibility of a company and b) raise the morale of employees and heighten the interest of potential employees. Not to mention it would be good promo/exposure for the company, as well.
This article was also informative, and it broke down the basics of the gap and provided statistics on different factors of the gap. One that I personally found really interesting was the chart displaying the differing wages by state. I was beyond surprised to learn that some states, such as Wyoming, had as much as a $16,000 annual salary difference between genders.
My hope is that in the next few years (or sooner, I'd really hope), the US can start to own up to the fact that pay inequality exists and needs to be fixed. As a very career driven person, I would hate to find out that I'm being paid less than I should be in a job that I love just because of something so inconsequential as my gender.
Ah HA! More statistics on the inequality here in America! Inequality goes beyond skin color to the extreme of differentiating body parts! Surprising? Of course not. Why must women be paid less then men? Statistics prove that women are substantially smarter than men. That reason alone is enough for women to be paid equally if not more then men. One male, one female working the exact same job, fulfilling the exact same duties but the woman is being paid less than the man. Who was the genius to come up with this?
ReplyDeleteI agree with my colleague Kayla that all companies should adopt a transparent salary policy that will help monitor all this inequality going around. There's so much secrecy in our society. Our nation isn't practicing what it preaches, "equality and justice for all". This will be a way that will show the true colors of our diluted "equality". There should not be one person in this country who is treated differently or paid differently based on the color of their skin color, their gender, religious beliefs or sexual preferences. How can you expect people to fulfill their duties at the best of their abilities if they aren't being treated fairly?
The history of equality in America is pretty sad. From women, African-Americans, immigrants and gays the road to equality has been a struggle since our nation began. It will continue until our people stand up and demand a change. Our closed mouths will never get fed. The government will continue discrimination because we don't seem to care. It is time for a change.