Almost exactly a year ago, we wrote about Ledbetter v. Goodyear, the Supreme Court's decision to limit workers' ability to sue their employers based on gender and other forms of discrimination. This is a big deal because:
- Women are paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to men.
- African-American women are paid 63 cents for every dollar paid to white men.
- Latinas are paid 52 cents for every dollar paid to white men.
That's not ok. Luckily Congress is considering legislation that would reverse the effects of the Court's anti-woman decision in Ledbetter, so please take a few minutes and ask your Senators to pass the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
Seeking big-picture answers to wage discrimination is important. I am completely aware that women earn less than men for a whole host of systemic reasons. But this is a great opportunity to share some practical tips for women who aren't getting paid what they deserve, and to empower them to act on their own behalf. (Lord knows it's faster than waiting for Congress to help you out.) So I did a little vlogging on the subject:
(I'm not an expert or anything, so please post your own tips in comments. Also, I realize this advice is mostly geared to the 9-to-5 office-type gals among us, but hopefully it'll have some usefulness for those of you who work in other environments, too…)
If you don't want to watch 5 minutes of my "likes" and "ums," what I said is available in convenient bulleted-list form, after the jump…
- You won't get a raise if you don't ASK FOR IT. (I really want to reclaim that phrase as a term of workplace empowerment for women, rather than an assholish excuse for rape.) Many, many, many smart women have made this point more articulately and at greater length. But it bears repeating: No one is going to hand you a raise. You have to ask for it. And most of the time, it's men doing the asking, so they get the raises. Ladies, ask for more money. You're worth it.
- But it's difficult and awkward asking for more money! How do you do it? I think a good first step is knowing what others get paid for doing similar work. (This is how Lilly Ledbetter got screwed -- she had no idea the dudes in her workplace were getting raise after raise, while her wages were stagnating.) So don't be afraid to ask your coworkers -- and people you know who do similar work but for other employers -- how much they earn. And then use that information to know where you stand. (Note: If your coworkers won't dish, here are two websites that may help you out: www.salary.com and www.wageproject.com.
- Bargain for more than money. Of course, just because you ask doesn't mean you'll get that raise. You'll probably get turned down a few times before you get more money. But you should make it a goal not to leave a salary negotiation without some other concrete benefit -- a few tweaks to your job description, a better title, more convenient shifts, a better office, whatever. It'll make you feel like you didn't get all sweaty and nervous for nothing. And honestly, those non-monetary benefits can be a huge boost. Plus, it shows your boss that you're going to be a hard-ass negotiator in future conversations about your salary.
I'd love to hear your own ASK FOR IT tips in comments.
ALSO: Check out awesome fair-pay day blogging from Cecelia at Ojibway Migisi Bineshii, Veronica at Viva La Feminista, Lindsay at Female Impersonator, Jess at Pink Wave Feminism, Jill at Writes Like She Talks, PortlyDyke at Shakesville. Leave links to your Fair Pay Day post in comments.
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I couldn't agree more. While lots of systemic changes need to be made, women can and should be asking for more money. I read Women Don't Ask and it my way of thinking about negotiating for salary and more. As a result, I make more than I would have if I hadn't asked. What fascinated me about my own process, is that it took reading the book and seeing all the examples of women not asking that made me get over my own fears of negotiating for a higher salary. I felt an obligation to do it, not just for me, but for womankind!
My only tip in terms of actual negotiating-- the book Getting to Yes is the best for step by step instructions on how to negotiate for what you want. It's not enough to decide you are worth more and then to demand it. Using tested techniques of negotiating will strengthen your hand considerably.
As a side note, the woman who wrote Women Don't Ask has started a project teaching middle school girls to negotiate. YAY!
Patti, that's awesome news! I can't imagine how much easier this process would be for most women if they'd been practicing since middle school.
Also, thanks for the tip on the other book. I'll definitely check it out.
A small nitpick. Considering what comes after it, the first bullet should probably read "White women are paid 77 cents for every dollar paid to men."
Also, I have a couple of questions.
From what I understand, pay inequity is a worldwide problem. Are these statistics for the US only, or are other countries included?
As your stats demonstrate, race also plays a part in what wages a person gets. When you say "men" do you mean the entire male population, or white men only?
Maatnofret, I totally see what you're getting at (we don't want to reinforce the idea that woman=white woman)... but, in this particular case, IIRC the 77 cent figure is the average for all women. So I would hazard a guess that the average for white women is maybe 80-something cents on the dollar compared to white men. I do think it would be interesting to see what that number is.
NB: I haven't had my coffee yet this morning, so I'm blaming any lack of clarity above on caffeine deprivation!
Yup, was just about to jump in and post what CiCi said. Though I agree, it would be instructive (given how the other two statistics are phrased) to know how much white women make relative to white men. Anyone know the percentage?
Any suggestions on what you should do when you've been required to sign a contract stating you won't tell anyone what you're making?
Maybe try the websites I linked to above for general salary info for your position?
I've blogged it up today! Shared my personal frustrations around this issue!
I agree it's important to find out what others are making and how frequent raises are given in order to make a case for getting a raise. But, a few commenters over at Shakesville noted that some companies try to bar employees from discussing their wages with other employees, even going so far as to fire people who do discuss their wages...Is this true? Is this legal? And what can be done about it.
Where I used to work we were told we weren't supposed to talk to other people there abou t what we got paid. It wasn't until I met my eventual husband there that I realized I probably wasn't getting paid as much as I should have been. We both had the same level of education (MS) but he was getting paid much more than me. He had worked there a year longer and had more experience but not enough to justify the difference we were getting paid. Plus, it took me a long time to even get paid what I was at that point, I should have gotten much more from the beginning. But I didn't know any better.
Cici: Thanks for the clarification.
I remember reading an article saying that, without basic wage knowledge, salary negotiations with an employer was like "going up against a tank with a BB gun." As someone who is also not allowed to discuss what I'm making, the websites above are indispensable. Remember, too, to adjust your salary quote for experience. I have an advanced degree, so I generally start with a number that's a bit higher than average.
Most large companies have a particular time of year when they give reviews, promotions, and raises. One suggestion if you work for a company like that is, once you feel you are getting close to ready for the promotion or big pay jump, go to your manager or director 6 months before the review time. Explain that you’ve been thinking about career development, and that you think the time is close when you will be ready for a promotion or large raise. Then ask what you can do in the next 6 months to improve your performance to the level making the salary you desire or the position you want. Then, duh, go do those things, and make sure that they are visible to your boss.
Also: many large companies’ HR departments have pay guidelines for each position. Especially in highly technical fields (like mine) HR has a much higher percentage of females. Go ask someone you trust (of either gender) where you fall within that position’s pay guideline.
Most large companies have a particular time of year when they give reviews, promotions, and raises. One suggestion if you work for a company like that is, once you feel you are getting close to ready for the promotion or big pay jump, go to your manager or director 6 months before the review time. Explain that you’ve been thinking about career development, and that you think the time is close when you will be ready for a promotion or large raise. Then ask what you can do in the next 6 months to improve your performance to the level making the salary you desire or the position you want. Then, duh, go do those things, and make sure that they are visible to your boss.
Also: many large companies’ HR departments have pay guidelines for each position. Especially in highly technical fields (like mine) HR has a much higher percentage of females. Go ask someone you trust (of either gender) where you fall within that position’s pay guideline.
i still do not fully understand this claim. The stat is derived from the total average income of men versus the total income of women right? Men work more hours in jobs that pay and therefore make more money. Of course there is still discrimination and the entirety of the baby issue but I really dont ever see women on average as a group earning the same or more than men for at least 20-30 years, when the number of women with degrees and experience will far outnumber men.
i find it interesting that in the abortion debate, some women say since its their body and their resposibility every step along the way is their decision yet they dont want to face all the consequences of that decision. Even in a perfect country with free and widespread childcare and healthcare having a baby will put you at least a little behind on your career track and many women choose to work less after having a job (thankfully society is easing up a little and letting men make that choice too though they still get a ton of shit for it.) I'm pro-choice but I just don't get how if you were to find a female who was 100% my equal, not very hard to do admittedly, and she went through a pregnancy or chose to stay at home with her child for 6 months or a year, how she would ever again compete with me salary wise unless you want to scrap the system we live in completely. Is getting to be the one who has the baby unfair to her in this regard? Would it be unfair to me to let her take a leave of absence or shorter workdays during her pregnancy if needed and come out at the end with the same gains I have made not having worked shorter hours or taking time off?
What to make of the stats regarding young urban professional pay where women make more than men? What about black women making significantly more than black men? what about professional women past 35 with no kids making more money than men? Though I dont fully believe that since men work more 'dangerous' jobs and make up 93% of all workplace fatalities being a great argument I do look at jobs with high demand and little supply such as garbagemen and the like. the market will pay the least possible and the least possible for a garbageman is more than the huge pool of people who wish to work in retail or low-level admin will make. Perhaps if we did have that tens of billions of dollars child care system and trillions of dollars healthcare system it would go a long way towards alleviatiing the problem but I still dont buy the stat as it is presented, I have read both studies supporting and attacking it and it seems a little dishonest to me to use that stat and then say it means for the same job and the same workload, thats now how the stat was derived.
"Ums" and "likes" are fine - I think we should reclaim them :-)
I'm a little surprised by the amount of emphasis you place on the idea that women just don't ask for money. I've definitely noticed that African American women are just assumed to be stupid and given less responsibility and fewer promotions. And that makes it pretty hard for them to ask for more money.
In any case, I've never found asking to be that effective unless your boss has been implying that you should ask.
If you want to get more money the key phrase in your negotiation should be, "I received another offer for employment." Our economic system is based on paying you less than you're worth. So if they don't think your worth a lot more than they pay you, they're assholes and you shouldn't be working there anyway.
Oh, and make sure the offer is real...
But, a few commenters over at Shakesville noted that some companies try to bar employees from discussing their wages with other employees, even going so far as to fire people who do discuss their wages...Is this true? Is this legal? And what can be done about it.
Technically, it's not legal. The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) prohibits employers penalising employees for discussing their pay with one another. However, like most other labour laws in this country, it is rarely, if ever, enforced by the competent agencies, so the only way it is ever enforced in practise is by private enforcement actions.