To my critics out there: you’re going to LOVE this recent bit of news regarding wage discrimination. Surprisingly, Google OVER-paid women and UNDER-paid men! The “same job, different pay” alarm was sounded about a group of underpaid male software developers, and Google dispersed funds to counter the disparity.
When Google did their audit, they found those men were indeed underpaid. It should be noted, though, that the compensation in question wasn’t salary – male and female software developers received the same paychecks. In this case, the men got less discretionary funding than their female counterparts.
Is A “Same Job, Different Pay” Scenario Ever Okay?
On the flip side of the wage discrimination coin, Citigroup recently revealed they pay women 29% less than men. If you analyze the data without adjusting for factors such as tenure, number of direct reports, and experience, this Citigroup case points to an unfair “same job, different pay” scenario.
But you have to take those factors, and many others, into consideration when you talk about compensation. In certain studies, when differences in skill level and job responsibility are accounted for, it appears that women and men are compensated relatively equally and fairly. Watch the video below to learn more about this.
Is there, or is there not, a wage discrimination?
This begs the question: Is there, or is there not, a gender pay gap? Does wage discrimination exist? And are the wage discrepancies we see based on gender or ethnicity, or are they the product of other variables that may be relevant and reasonable?
I think the way to achieve pay parity is to carefully consider “same job, different pay” situations and determine the exact reasons for any discrepancies to know if they are reasonable or arbitrary. Account for tenure, experience, and direct reports. And of course, eradicate actual wage discrimination wherever it exists.
Let’s Grow,
Beate
Beate Chelette is The Growth Architect & Founder of The Women’s Code, a training company specialized in providing companies an ROI on Balanced Leadership. She has been named one of 50 must-follow women entrepreneurs by the Huffington Post. A first-generation immigrant who found herself $135,000 in debt as a single parent, she bootstrapped her passion for photography into a highly-successful global business, and eventually sold it to Bill Gates in a multimillion-dollar deal.
Beate works with business leaders and supports organizations by developing and providing training the training, tools, and expertise to create and maintain a balanced, equal and inclusive work environment that fosters creativity, employee engagement and corporate growth.
Recent clients include Merck, Women’s Legislative Caucus of California, Cal State University Dominguez Hills, Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), NFTE, CreativeLive, the Association of Corporate Growth, and TracyLocke.
Beate is the author of the #1 International Amazon Bestseller “Happy Woman Happy World – How to Go From Overwhelmed to Awesome” a book that corporate trainer and best-selling author Brian Tracy calls “a handbook for every woman who wants health, success and a fulfilling career.
To book Beate to speak or train please connect here.