Despite the fact that the Equal Pay Act has been law since 1963, many problems inevitably arise in the administration of equal pay laws (Fisher). It has been estimated that at this current slow rate of progression in closing the gender pay gap it will be 2068 by the time men and women’s wages are equalized. It is clear that the business case, as well as the legislative case, has a significant role to play (Commission Policy Report). There are some factors which stop or slow equal pay for genders. These are behavioral factors, corporate culture and policies, human resource practices and social and environmental factors (Giapponi and McEvoy, 2006).
Behavioral factors are related with lack of awareness of pay inequity. Women do not aware or
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Some organizations are unwilling to show their reward systems and pay policies (Lawler, 1995). Many Human Resources professionals believe gender pay gaps to be resolvable through the monitoring of pay levels and communication (Report on Salary Surveys).Greater pay transparency has been a great benefit to the board, employees and managers as they now know what is happening across the business and they are able to confidently justify their actions (Commission Policy Report).All market-related supplements are recorded and reviewed separately from basic salary to ensure openness and transparency. Regular research market rates within the various labor markets in which they operate is undertaken improving transparency would also help to improve talent development, as employees would be able to see what they could earn if they wanted to move to another division and upgrade their skill set. (Commission Policy Report).
Human resources practices are related with the pay of new hires on their salary history, rather than on responsibility and experience, also perpetuates the wage gap. (Human Resource Management Department Report). When increases in salary for promotions are based on current salary, women have difficulty catching up to their male counterparts. According to the National Committee on Pay Equity, stereotyping continues, since
According to statistics, there are disparities with pay in the workplace. Men are paid more in wages, comprehensive packages, and benefits than women who performed the same job responsibilities and roles in the workplace. The big question is why are women being unvalued? Since, this is a common practice in the workplace, is this fair to both genders and is this the most favorable outcome for the greatest number affected by this business practice? The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was passed to eliminate this type of discrimination based on sex with paying wages to employees, in such establishment at a rate less than the rate at which pays, wages to employees of the opposite sex for equal work on jobs the performance of which requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are performed under similar working conditions.
The issue of gender inequality in the workplace affects many. The issue of discrimination in wages has been an issue since women were allowed to hold a job and has continued, and possibly progressively gotten better, but it has also gotten progressively worse as it is easier to hide this
A majority of women across the world are highly accountable for home duties, and child rearing, while men on the other hand are bound for working in higher paid salary jobs. As of a result of this, inequality amongst genders has turned into a controversy in the workplace. And due to this gender inequality, women have been led to poorly paid gender typed positions. The gender pay gap negatively impacts individuals and some elements that play a major role in this issue are: work experience, independent skills, specific length of time at a company, and the level of education the person has obtained. However, the
The gender pay gap effects women in almost all fields of work and in all racial or ethnic
“Join the union, girls, and together say Equal Pay for Equal Work” -Susan B. Anthony. Countless women, even here in the U.S. have some sort of the wage gap. The wage gap is the difference between the median earnings of women relative to median earnings of men. In this case, women earn a significant amount less than men. Although the wage gap has gotten smaller over the years, the wage gap still has a long way to go. Women deserve better than just minimum earnings. Full time, working women should obtain the best promotions and benefits. Women that work just as tough and have the equivalent qualifications as men do still earn less, and that is just unacceptable. The wage gap should be abolished on behalf of women of color and their struggle, equal pay is a global problem, equal pay benefits employers and workers, and the wage gap accumulates over time.
Equality has been a topic of major discussion in the last decade. Equality, which definition consists of the state of being equal or the same, has not had a major impact on gender pay. Men are known to make more money than women simply based on gender. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was supported by President John F. Kennedy to cease the gender pay gap and allow women equal rights in wages as men. Although, it has been fifty four years since The Equal Pay Act of 1963 went into effect, it seems as if the idea for equal pay for women is still not only a topic for debate, but also an issue for women that needs to be resolved.
economy has changed enormously. They are increasingly holding positions in management, and we are lead to believe the pay gap between men and women are now balanced. In 1963, President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act creating it a law that makes different pay wages illegal due to gender based work quality. In the 1960’s women in the United States earned an average of 59 cents for the dollar men made in equal positions. (Gender, Web). Today almost half of the workforce consist of women and are the main source of income in four out of ten households. A review of the year 2013 shows that female full-time workers only received 78 cents to the dollar earned by men (Pay,
Gender wage discrimination still exists in the United States after having many acts established to prevent it. The Equal Pay Act of 1963, signed by John F. Kennedy on
Inequality has been a dilemma for several years in countless different ways. A persistent problem with disproportion of income between women and men has been lingering within many companies in the United States. It has been said that women earn less money than men in the workplace for many different reasons. Some of these reasons are that women have not spent enough time in the office to be rewarded with raises and bonuses because they are busy with their home lives and taking care of their children, they, unlike men, have been taught to be timid and unaggressive which ultimately steers them away from requesting higher pay, or they do not meet the qualifications to receive promotions (Hymowitz, 2008). This essay is in response to On
According to Kim (2015), there has been a great deal of change to the workforce ever since the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was enacted. Since this time, there has been a huge influx of women entering into the job market, where there had not been prior to the law. This meant that during the time of the laws creation there had not been near the women receiving pay for their services like there were in the years to follow. To help modernize this change amendments needed to be added and this included the Equal Pay Act of 1963. This Act made it mandatory for employers to offer equal pay to both men and women who perform equal work (Kim, 2015, p. 648). However, since this law has been created there has been an ongoing problem with making sure it is being followed and still today there is a gender pay gap.
Women continue to face disadvantages in the workplace in regards to not receiving equal pay as well. There are many instances where women have the same or more qualifications to do a job than their male counterparts but do not receive the same pay. This difference in pay is not only related to gender differences but also racial differences. Women employees of different racial backgrounds tend to earn less money than their white female and male counterparts. Many women of color often face discrimination when applying to jobs and are overlooked for a position despite having the qualifications to do the work. When they are hired to these occupations they are not receiving the same pay as their white female counterparts. This double bind that minority women face within the work place continues to lead to economic hardships. Regarding women in the workplace in general, due to society’s high regard for men they are often not promoted to positions of authority or receive equal pay because people assume that women are inferior workers. (Buchanan, p205-207)
Explanations for this pay gap come far and wide and are cited in various publications within numerous fields worldwide. Most research point toward existing gender bias and discrimination. Due to workplace biases women are earning 20 percent less than men on average. Women face unfair barriers in the workplace. Reasons for the pay gap also include shifts in supply and demand for employers, unfair wage determination practices, unequal time taken away from work to care for families, and differences in work credentials such as education and experience. The best way to close the gender pay gap is to focus on correcting the biggest factors causing this
Gender inequality in organizations is a complicated phenomenon that can be seen in organizational structures, processes, and practices frequently. For women, some of the most harmful gender inequalities situations are always occurred in human resources activities because HR practices may affect the hiring, training, pay, and promotion of women.
Imagine what an extra 20%, or more, in your paycheck could do for you. Maybe it would be the difference between just scraping by and having a little discretionary income. Now, imagine being paid based on your own merit, and not some sliding scale which has historically favored men as the breadwinners of the family. Unfortunately, for most women, equal pay is still a dream. Today, as throughout history, there exists a gender pay gap where women are paid $0.79 to every dollar a man makes. Minority women make even less. Women, of course, have always known this gap exists, but they have had little power to change it.
Mike Honda once said, “Equal pay isn’t just a women’s issues; when women get equal pay, their family income rise and the whole family benefits” (Honda, n.d.). Although more businesses are supportive of closing the pay gap, it is still a problem in most established companies. There are several reasons for the pay gap, yet in many cases it is thought that the main reason is because women are less likely to negotiate their salary. Even if this is the case, companies need to be aware of their employee’s salaries to stay within their legal obligation. This is what Joe Black, the president of Acme Manufacturing, has discovered within his organization.