NeQuoia LoyddUniversity of South FloridaECW 6696: Equity & Access in the New Economy

GENDER INEQUALITY IN THE

WORKPLACE: GENDER WAGE

GAP

Gender Inequality

Gender Inequality• Fight for Women’s Rights• After Civil War• 55 years after African American Men was granted right

to vote

• 20th Amendment in 1920

• Women’s Movement• Later knows as “Feminism”

Current Problem•Equal Pay for women•Women earning $0.77-$0.80 to $1.00 for same job as men•Gender pay gap still wider than years prior (1955-2012)

Equal Pay/Gender Gap• Gender pay gap not as narrow as we would have hoped• Men and women gender pay gap changes over the last few

decades.• Decade: 1981 to 1990

• Reduced by 4%

• Decade 1991 to 2000• Reduced by 10%

• Current Decade (since 2001)• Reduced by only 1%

• If we fail to get back on track it will take approximately 45 years to reach gender wage parity.

• All changes are not due to women “choice”• Maternity Leave• More hours spent taking care of home than men• Shorter careers

Gender Pay Gap & Ethnicity

• Asian American ethnic groups earn more than all other ethnicities• Due to Educational Attainment• Highest paid ethic group

• African American & Hispanics typically earn less than Caucasian workers• Women earned far less when compared to Caucasian men then other races

• Gains for one race/ethnic group will not hinder gains of another group

Pay Secrecy• Discussions about salaries in the workplace forbidden• Nearly half of employees are strictly prohibited or strongly discouraged from talking salary wit their coworkers• Leads to wider gender pay gap• Paycheck Fairness Act• Legislation to end secrecy policies

• Lilly Ledbetter• Case proved that when employers do not discuss salaries

amongst each other, it is virtually impossible to know if discrimination is occurring

Higher Level Positions•“Glass Ceiling” Theory• an unofficially acknowledged barrier to

advancement in a profession, esp. affecting women

and members of minorities• Lack of promotions• Hard to advance into higher level positions• Lack of bonuses

•Require higher educational background from women• (i.e. A woman with a PhD would earn the same amount as a man with a Bachelor’s degree)

Repercussions of Unequal Pay•Retention•Increase in Turnover Rates •Sit-Ins•Walk-Outs•Strikes

Future Recommendations•Implement worldwide Equal Pay Acts•Equal Pay Act of 1963•Title Vii of the Civil Rights Act of 1964•Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009•Enhance Equal Pay Act App•Different tools to combat gender pay inequality•Implement salary negotiation tactics•Sex-Blind standards

Future Recommendations, cont.•Forbid Employment Discrimination based on religion, sex, race, gender, and national origin•Implement Merit Based Evaluation for bonuses•Removal of gender question on employment application •Eliminate Pay Secrecy

Questions?

References:• Alkadry, M.G., & Tower, L.E. (2006) Unequal Pay: The Role of Gender. Journal

of Equity, Gender, and Diversity. Journal of Public Administration Review. 66 (6), 888-898.

• Brenton, Andrew. (2011). Why Federal Sex-Based Employment Discrimination Laws Should be Replaced With a System for Accrediting Employers for their Anti-discriminatory Employment Practices. Journal of Law, Gender, and Society. 26 (2), 349-385.

• Burke, R.J., & Davidson, M.J. (2000). Women in Management: Current Research Issues. London. Paul Chapman Publishing, Ltd.

• Covert, Bryce. (2013). We’ve Moved Backward in Closing the Gender Wage Gap. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/brycecovert/2013/03/07/weve-moved-backward-in-closing-the-gender-wage-gap/

• Farrell J. & Glynn S.J. (2013) What Causes the Gender Wage Gap? Retrieved from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2013/04/09/59658/what-causes-the-gender-wage-gap/

• Hegewisch, A., Williams, C., & Edwards, A. (2013). The Gender Wage Gap: 2012.

• Kulow. M.D. (2013). Beyond the Paycheck Fairness Act: Mandatory Wage Disclosure Law-A Necessary Tool for Closing the Residual Gender Wage Gap. Harvard Journal of Legislations. 50, 385-435.

• Lyons, Sarah. (2013). Why the Law Should Intervene to Disrupt Pay-Secrecy Norms: Analyzing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act Through the Lens of Social Norms. Journal of Law and Social Problems. 46 (361), 361-392.