UPDATE: Disappointing news: the Paycheck Fairness Act stalled on Capitol Hill. Below is our official statement:
Catalyst's Statement on Blockage of Paycheck Fairness Act in US SenateA crucial bill targeting the gender pay gap in the United States was blocked today as too few senators voted to move forward with the legislation. Among other remedies, the Paycheck Fairness Act would have required employers to provide an explanation for wage differences between women and men doing the same type of work. Today, women working full-time and year round are paid 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. This harms women, their families and American business. The Act's blockage represents a defeat for this nation's working women, and our economy.
The gender pay gap will persist in the United States until 2058 if we fail to act. Equality--and equity--can't wait.
(Original Post)
What will the world look like in the next 50 years? It will be filled with helper-robots, flying cars, quantum computers -- oh, and one more thing -- gender pay gaps!
Technologies keep marching forward, but companies do not. Today, women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. And the rate of change is glacially slow: less than half a cent a year. At this pace, it will take until 2058 for full-time wages between women and men to be equal.
Who's got 48 years to wait for equality?
A 33-cent-a-dollar difference today adds up over the span of a career. Over 40 years, a woman in the United States will lose an average of $431,000 in pay. This is money that could be spent on doctor's visits, tuition fees, cars, and just about anything that keeps us healthy and happy and our economy ticking.
The stakes are high -- that's why Congress must pass the Paycheck Fairness Act when it comes up for a vote in Congress later this month.
Critics claim that the Equal Pay Act of 1963 gives women enough protection from wage discrimination. When this law was passed, full-time working women made 59 cents for every dollar earned by a man. Forty-seven years later, the gap closed by only 18 cents! Does this law seem effective to you?
The Equal Pay Act has loopholes big enough to drive trucks through, and the Paycheck Fairness Act plugs them. The new act would require employers to provide an explanation for wage differences between women and men doing the same type of work, ensure that women can obtain the same legal remedies as those subject to racial or ethnic discrimination, bolster the federal collection of wage data, and prohibit retaliation against workers who ask bosses about their wages.
Pay gaps should be a thing of the past, not an everyday reality for ourselves, our children and grandchildren. Too much is at stake.
The Paycheck Fairness Act was already approved by the House, and the Senate is poised to act on the bill as soon as November 17, 2010. Please support all efforts to pass this bill!
We already know the housing market is going to continue to decline until 2013, and won't begin to pick until then. Jobs will continue to be outsourced to China and India - so probably both American men and women will continue to suffer in this terrible economy.
Any employee who is cheerful, competent, highly experienced, dependable, a team player and willing to travel will most usually get paid more and receive promotions more frequently than the one who is unable to regularly work overtime/weekends, must take time off to deal with family emergencies and is experiencing stress due to personal circumstances.
Unless, of course, the government wants to discourage gung-ho employees in the name of equality of outcome. Because that will be the result of this legislation.
More women than men believe their family has first call on their time. Do we need legislation mandating fathers/spouses take their kids to the doctor, attend school functions, make sure Grandma gets a ride to the grocery store once a week, do laundry, clean house and take the dog to the vet at least 50% of the time or face fines and jail time?
That is just about how silly this legislation is.
The only people that will benefit from this bill are the lawyers that take on the discrimination lawsuits. It will do NOTHING to increase women’s salary. The end result will be MEN will be offered lower starting rates for fear of upsetting the women work force.
Each person is wired differently. How can you measure and prove someone’s negotiating skills? How do you measure and prove a person’s drive, determination, and other qualities that put them ahead of the competition? Managers with different levels of responsibility and experience are paid differently. How can you even compare apples with apples? You can’t. That makes this bill unfair.
The bill requires the government to collect MORE personal data. It would only allow employers to defend differences in pay between men and women on the grounds of education, training, and experience if these factors are justified on the grounds of “business necessity”. Meaning that male managers with college degrees couldn’t be paid more than females clerks with college degrees.
In a nutshell, it does not simply ensure “paycheck fairness” between men and women. It would make it much more difficult for employers to defend against wage discrimination claims, allow for unlimited damages, and make class action status far easier to obtain.
Funny how the name of the bill always sounds good but when you dig deeper, it's a nightmare.