Female college graduates only earn 80% compared to their male colleagues, across-industries. You can help end this gap.
People have talked about it for years. The numbers vary, but the fact remains the same: women, on average, earn less than men for doing the same jobs.
The only way to solve this problem is to take matters into our own hands. Here are a few things you can do right now to end the wage discrimination.
See where you stand. Are you earning what your male counterparts earn? Find out with the Getting Even Calculator at the WAGE (Women Are Getting Even ) website. Many women who earn less than their male co-workers are not even aware that it is true.
Talk about it. Salary discussions have become taboo at work, even to the point of being grounds for termination according to some company policies. The only individuals benefiting from the closed-mouth policies, however, are the employers. If we don’t know how much Ted at the next desk is making, we won’t cause a stink about it. So share what you earn. Discuss it with other women and men in your industry. You may be surprised at what you find.
Ask for more. Part of the problem is that many female workers low-ball themselves to begin with. Men tend to negotiate a starting salary, while women feel compelled to accept a first offer. This puts men an average of $4,000 ahead of every woman, just from the starting blocks. Add this to the fact that men tend to ask for higher raises at review time, and they’re way ahead of the game. This is our fault, ladies. The easiest way to catch up is to ask for it.
Negotiate. Particularly when accepting an offer, it’s important to negotiate. Consider your first offer as just that—an offer, and counter with a number of your own. Go higher than you think they will accept. You may be surprised and find they accept it. If not, they won’t think less of you for asking, and will likely counter with a higher number of their own. Remember, they already want you for this job. Show them you are worth it.
Write your legislators. The Paycheck Fairness Act (HR1338/S 766) and The Fair Pay Act (HR2019/S 1087) are about to hit the floor in Congress. Go to usa.gov and send a quick note to your representative indicating your support of these bills.
This is a universally acknowledged problem, and it’s time to do something about it. Don’t be afraid to make some noise. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
