There are many cases related to pay that’s similar to Miss Kate’s claim of pay discrimination. The case of Schultz vs. Wheaton glass was a similar situation in which males were paid 10 percent more than women because they periodically lifted boxes (Cooper and Barrett, 1984). The courts ruled that lifting boxes were not enough to differentiate the pay between men and women. Other cases relevant to the claims in the letter is about males and females having the same skill level and responsibility. An example is a case involving Hodgson vs. both Brookhaven and Waynesburg. Courts ruled that just because the duties were different, they maintained equality when it came to the amount of skills needed to do the job and the responsibilities involved
equal pay for work of equal value or pay equity must be guaranteed, requiring that women’s work
One of the biggest problems facing women in the workplace is the wage gap separating men and women. Women, on average, get paid 77 cents on the dollar for every dollar a man makes. (Berman Huffington Post) This startling statistic is one many feminist use in arguing that sexism is not dead in this country. When women are not paid the same as men when doing the same job, it is like blatantly telling women that they are not good enough.
According to Karen Horney in chapter 12 of The Distrust Between the Sexes, “Even men who consciously have a very positive relationship with women and hold them in high esteem as human beings, harbor deep within themselves a secret distrust of them; and how this distrust relates back to feelings toward their mothers, which they experienced in their formative years.” This is one of the many examples of when Karen Horney relates the relationship between men and women to one that stems from when they were both younger. “And, although impressive gains were made by women, there are still significant inequalities that must be addressed. In this context, the focus often turns to the pay gap between men and women, which is widely discussed in both academic and practice-oriented fora.” (Public Personnel Management). A lot of people in the country today are better about equality between men and women, but men are still payed more than women in some jobs and women want to be payed the same as men for the work they do. Civil Rights in America wrote this, “Persons who claim sex discrimination in the form of a violation of the act must prove that their basic job duties were equal to that of a higher-paid employee of the opposite
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.
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)
A different quote from a different reading from class that closely relates and further demonstrates this problem is about unequal pay. The quote reads “Many sociologists point to sex segregation, or the concentration of men and women in different occupations, as an important cause of the gender gap in earnings” (Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, Carr, 269, 270). It is obviously not fair that women and men get paid differently because of sex segregation. It should not matter if someone is a male or female. If the person is doing what they are supposed to be doing, I believe the pay should be the same between the
Wage discrimination is embedded in our legal system. The ongoing battle for equal pay for women dates back to the Civil War. Throughout history, men seemed as the ideal-type of employers. Men were primary the breadwinners, and women who worked at the time only pinch in money oppose to having a stable salary equivalent to their male counterparts. The job roles such as nurses, teacher, and retail sales clerk became a “traditional female” occupations. In “Here’s the History of the Battle for Equal Pay for American Women,” Charlotte Alter points out a letter sent to the editor of the New York Times on February 1869. In this letter, the writer questioned why female government officials did not have similar pay to their male colleagues: ‘Very few persons deny the justice of the principle that equal work should command equal pay without regard to the sex of the laborer.’ Even in the late 19th century in which men had far more opportunities than women, people question the inequality in regards of the workplace. The
The pay gap between genders exhibits sexism in America yet some researchers are in denial. Warren Farrell, expert on gender issues within legislation and former board member of National Organization for Women, claims otherwise. In his book Why Men Earn More, he attributes difference in wages to females choosing human resources jobs, which pay less, and not choosing harsher jobs that pay more (Farrell). His overall point is that men sacrifice more thus companies pay more for those sacrifices. His argument only compares the genders when different job requirements alter wages, but does not mention wages of identical jobs.
Furthermore, the employment society has an unjust take on this. “Oh, female employees in a workforce? That’s a hassle to manage… We know, let’s pay them lower wages! Better yet, in some cases, let us just not hire them at all, even though they are perfectly qualified because a male worker can do it just as well.” Just as well… equally qualified... Hmm, something is not right here. Should women have to settle for lower payment rates just because of their
Mr. Boseman did show a form of sexual discrimination, which was determined by him not paying Julia Kate the same as the other three men in her office. Kate’s letter is asking for her pay to be reviewed and changed so it is not showing discrimination in her work. I agree that some people should be paid based on their qualifications and responsibilities. For example, “rational (and legal) compensation systems set and adjust pay levels based on a number of factors, including the credentials, experience supervisory responsibilities, and of course the job performance of the incumbents” (Thorne, Ferrell, & Ferrell, 2011). If the job does not list that you have to have a particular degree to do the job, the individual that has a degree should not
Another form of discrimination is gender inequality in the workplace. Women are paid 83 cents for every dollar a man makes. Women are often paid less than men for doing the same exact jobs and have a harder time in receiving promotions and higher job
the submission of equal pay regime did not operate as a “pay equity” scheme that would require comparison across industries or entire occupations. The defendant view was that a employment agreement provided equal pay if there was no element of differentiation in the rates an employer paid its female employees and its male employees for the work or class of work’, where they had similar skills, responsibilities an service. Waalkens said that paying four males at the same rate as women carers was not submitted as a complete defence, but as highly relevant evidence the Court must
Why should a woman be expected to get less pay for any job, only because she is a woman - given equal proficiency and if required to work the same number of hours - why not the same
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 many ways to discuss gender inequality and in the workplace world, a perfect example of gender inequality stems from the vast issue of unequal pay between men and women. According to Excite Education, “Gender inequality is a form of sex discrimination which results in a particular individual being treated disadvantageously because of their gender.” (Excite, 2001) In the workplace, women have been treated differently when it comes to their roles and their pay. In a recent article by The New Times, actress Emma Stone discusses how her “Male co-stars have cut their own salaries to tackle inequality.” (Haigney, 2017) I chose to do this article because I think it is very important for young women entering a workplace to be aware of