This is why women still earn a lot less than men

This is why women still earn a lot less than menThis is why women still earn a lot less than menA decade ago, on Jan. 29, 2009, newly inaugurated President Barack Obama signed his first bill into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.It was the latest legislative effort to close the persistently stubborn eu-agrarpolitik between how much women and men earn. At the time, women made just 77 cents of every dollar men earned a level that hadnt improved all that much since the 1990s, according to Census data.While existing laws already prohibited gender-based wage discrimination, the Ledbetter Act gave workers more time to sue employers over the issue. And the hope was that it would make a big difference.So did it?My research explores the legal hurdles that have prevented women from achieving pay equity with men. Now, 10 years after the act was passed, more work still needs to be done.Ledbetters complaintThe Ledbetter Act overturned a Supreme Court case that ruled against Lilly Led better, who worked as an area manager at Goodyear Tire and Rubber for more than 19 years. Over time, her pay slipped until she was earning 15 percent to 40 percent less than her male counterparts.When an anonymous bedrngnise tipped her off about the extent of the disparity, Ledbetter filed a pay discrimination complaint under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a statute prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin and religion. A jury found in her favor and awarded more than US$3.5 million in damages.The case was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, which in 2007 ruled 5-4 that employees must file a complaint within 180 days after their employer makes a pay decision. The fact that the discrimination was embedded in each paycheck and that Ledbetter didnt know of the disparity for many years did not matter. Time had run out on her claim.In a vehement dissent read from the bench, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg noted that the ruling denied workplace realities. She pointed out that since employees often lack information about pay disparities, which can accumulate slowly over time, they shouldnt be given such a narrow window in which to file a complaint.Ultimately, the 111th Congress and President Obama agreed with Justice Ginsburg and nullified the decision. The Ledbetter Act makes clear that the statute of limitations for filing a wage discrimination claim resets with each discriminatory paycheck.A disappointing impactThe laws impact, however, has been disappointing.The rate of new wage discrimination cases hasnt budged, primarily because employees still lack information about their co-workers pay. Salary discussions are taboo in most workplaces, and some employers, like Ledbetters, forbid it.Put simply, a woman cant file a complaint if she doesnt know shes being shortchanged.Title VII wage claims are hard to prove for other reasons too. Title VII generally requires proof that employers acted with discriminator y intent. However, much discrimination in todays workplace is not intentional but fueled by unconscious gender stereotypes.For instance, studies show that workers receive better performance evaluations when they conform to gender stereotypes, such as dominance for men and passivity for women. In one study, participants were asked to award merit-based bonuses to fictional employees with identical personnel files. Men got higher bonuses than women.The bottom line Women today earn about 80 cents for every dollar men make earn, up just a few cents since 2009.And for women of color, the gap is even starker. Latinas earn 52 cents to the dollar of white men, while African-American women earn just 61 cents. Within racial groups, a pay gap between men and women persists, although it is narrower.Narrow interpretationsOf course, employees who believe they are being discriminated against based on gender can also turn to the Equal Pay Act. This act, signed into law in 1963 when women earned only 60 cents for every dollar men earned, does not require a showing of employer intent to discriminate.The act was the first to prohibit employers from paying men more than women who perform equal work.The pay gap has since narrowed by about 20 cents, but not because of anti-discrimination laws. The main drivers have been womens increased educational attainment and entry into the workforce.The Equal Pay Act hasnt been effective because courts read the law narrowly. They generally require that women plaintiffs identify a man with an identical job and resume for comparison. Given that men and women are tracked into different occupations, this can often be impossible.Moreover, both Title VII and the Equal Pay Act allow employers to defend pay differentials on the basis of any factor other than sex. For example, courts have permitted a limitless array of employer excuses for paying women less that are themselves rooted in gender bias, such as womens weaker salary bargaining skill, lesser management potential or lower prior salary history.These statutory interpretations may sound technical, but they matter. They help explain why the gap appears stuck at 80 cents and why some estimate itll be at least until 2059 until pay equity in the United States is reached.Why it persistsAnother reason the gap is so stubborn is that men and women are steered into different occupations, and male-dominated occupations pay more for comparable work.Even within a traditionally male field such as computer programming, women are paid less. And, as women move into a field, the entire occupations wages sink.Importantly, economists have found that discrimination feeds as much as 38 percent of the gender gap.Skeptics of the gender gap argue that it results from womens choices to work fewer hours and stay home to raise children.Its true, women bear a larger responsibility for child rearing and thus may cut back their hours or take time off from the workplace especially because the United Sta tes is the only developed country without paid maternity leave and child care is expensive.But while mothers face a motherhood penalty in opportunities and pay, fathers reap a fatherhood bonus.And so-called choices cannot explain why female recent college graduates are paid 82 percent of their male counterparts or why the gap widens at the top. Professional women with advanced degrees who work full-time face a gender gap of 74 percent.The American Association of University Women meets with John F. Kennedy as he signs the Equal Pay Act into law.Abbie Rowe/JFK Presidential Library and Museum, CC BYClosing the gender gapClosing the gender pay gap is not rocket science even though recently graduated female rocket scientists earn 89 cents on the dollar to their male peers.Steps that would help include prohibiting employers from using salary history in setting wages, banning employer retaliation against employees who share wage information, providing greater transparency in pay, and revi sing Title VII and the Equal Pay Act to better address workplace realities.The proposed Paycheck Fairness Act introduced repeatedly in Congress since 1997 but never passed would codify many of these remedies at the federal level. And the Trump administration suspended an Obama-era requirement that employers report extensive pay data.While federal efforts stall, several states, including California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey, have passed their own laws to close the gap.The economic gains from closing the gender pay gap are huge. Doing so would add about $513 billion to the economy because of the extra income generated, reduce poverty and do a lot to support American families since mothers are the sole or primary breadwinners in about half of them.Passing the Lilly Ledbetter Act was a start, and now we owe it to American workers to enact laws that close the gap once and for all.Michele Gilman, Venable Professor of Law, University of BaltimoreThis article origina lly appeared onThe Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Combat Subtle Age Discrimination

Combat Subtle Age DiscriminationCombat Subtle Age DiscriminationYou can maintain relevance at any age no matter how subtly age discrimination permeates your workplace. Unfortunately, age discrimination, often a matter of unconscious bias, is prevalent in most workplaces. Moreover, those who are unemployed are at an even greater disadvantage. The person interviewing you is younger than your daughterand just as smart. And, they are concerned that you are older than all of your qualifikation coworkers, even if there is nothing to indicate their thoughts. Your interviewer may not know that their thoughts are discriminatory, but subtle age discrimination may be coloring their perceptions of your ability to fit within the companys work culture. Preventing Age Discrimination Employers can take steps to guard against age discrimination, but much of the onus belongs to the individual. After all, you have the most to lose. However, as in most factors related to employment, you have everyth ing to gain when you take action. If you work and youre over age 40, age discrimination is a real possibility. You cant change the attitudes and beliefs of other coworkers who may be unaware of what they exhibit or feel, but you can combat subtle discrimination by the actions you take in your workplace. How to Maintain Relevancy in the Workplace To stay relevant and combat age discrimination, do the followingStay current on the latest technology, industry-specific information, and other items necessary to stay relevant in the workplaceMaintain a healthy, professional appearance through proper grooming and dressing in stylish clothingThink outside of the box to introduce new ideas and ways to improve processes to increase workplace efficiencyUtilize strong communication and interpersonal skillsMaintain a healthy lifestyle by getting plenty of rest, managing stress, eating healthy foods, and getting plenty of exercise Maintain a Youthful Appearance Dana Anspach, a multi-credentialed r etirement planning expert, suggests that a youthful appearance can add years to your career and thousands of dollars to your income. Wear modern clothes and a stylish current hairstyle. When hiring for multiple positions, the front desk human resources (HR) administrative assistant or receptionist always flags the HR staff about their first impressions of the candidates who arrive for interviews. On a memorable occasion, whispering to an HR staff person one admin said, Gosh, this ones really old. When the HR interviewer saw the candidate, he caught her meaning right away and it had nothing to do with age. The Candidate Looked Dated The better word welches dated. Everything about the candidate was dated long hair cut straight across halfway down her back scuffed accessories skirted, pinstriped suit with a polyester bow tied around the neck that screamed the 1980s and a sad, slouched posture that made her look and seem forgettable. Properly Accessorize You should look neat and profess ional by accessorizing with attractive shoes, a handbag, a portfolio, and jewelry. Do not wear scuffed, torn, broken, or outdated accessories. Observe what the younger women are carrying and accessorize accordingly. At an HR conference, an older HR colleague carried her new handbag. At least three younger HR people approached her during the meetings to say, Oh, you have a Brighton. They thought it was pretty cool. The HR colleague didnt know it was cool. She just liked the bag. But, the Brighton bag made her cool by association- and approachable. Stay Current on the Latest Technology Stay current on new communication tools and technology advances. Technology skills make you appear savvy and contemporary. Social media is here to stay, and in order to participate, you will need to be fluent in this area. A company manager learned through Twitter that one of their employees celebrated her eighth anniversary with the company and remembered to congratulate her. Get comfortable messaging on Facebook and using other messaging and discussion tools such as Flowdock and Slack, texting, and posting on Facebook. Instant message (IM) that youthful coworker in the next cubicle, and text your meeting leader if youll be late. Embrace Change Be continually ready to embrace change so you stay relevant. You are always eager to embrace change and welcome the opportunity to gain new skills. Change means progress for you and your employer. Continuous improvement is important. Dont let your language in your workplace date you, stereotype youor make you seem irrelevant. Lead the change adoption when potential changes affect your workplace, and model early adopter behavior for younger employees. Avoid Dated Language Dont let your language date you. Reminiscing is only interesting and relevant if coworkers were born before that date. Coworkers likely are only interested in information that they can relate to personally. Thats the way weve always done things, as a reason to stay the sam e, is unattractive at any age. Its nice that you have grandchildren. But, your younger colleagues who are parents, get very tired, very quickly, of hearing that youre happy that you can enjoy your grandchildren- but then, they go home. Manage Interpersonal Relationships You own the success of your interpersonal relationships with different generations at work. Successful relationships are largely in your control, as youve had the most experience and success in creating them. Every employee should seek to respect and honor every other employee. Age Doesnt Generate Automatic Respect Your maturity does not earn you automatic respect from younger employees, who relish debating ideas and think that they know a lot. However, they have the most recent, cutting-edge ideas.Just because youve worked longer, you know more and have more experience, does not mean that your way is the best- or even that younger employees will acknowledge that you have an edge at all. Join their debate, swap ideas , and acknowledge that you also can learn from the younger generations at work. This is how you will earn their respect and generate cooperative, supportive interpersonal relationships. Stay Current in Your Industry Stay current in your field. Read, attend conferences, and converse regularly with thought leaders and colleagues. Be the first to introduce a new work process or a forward-thinking idea. Also, dont bring a dated portfolio to an interview, such as work that appeared to be 20 years old on yellowing, aged paper. Also, avoid presenting old ideas or a performance appraisal form with a checklist to grade each worker characteristic, on a scale of 1 to 5, using such words asorganized, reliable, and energetic. Stay at Your Current Job Hold on to the job you have. behauptung tips are relevant for employees at any age, but they are especially important for older workers. You dont want to hit the pavement job searching when you are over 40- the new old- unless you choose to pursue a new opportunity. As an experienced, older employee, you are in the best possible position to put these ideas and strategies to work as you strive to retain your job. Capitalize on Key Advantages You have the experience, deep knowledge, and maturity on which you can capitalize to benefit your employer. You are accountable, responsible, and savvy in ways that younger workers have yet to attain. Take advantage of your strengths and make sure that they are on display for your employer to notice- every day. Consider Changing Careers Find and transition to a new career field. Some of the saddest stories HR veterans receive are from out-of-work administrative assistants and secretaries. That world is over. Those older, usually male bosses have retiredor are retiring. Younger managers cannot imagine writing something and then passing it to an office worker to type. People who worked for years in valued positions find their skills and job duties obsolete. Take a look at your skills and resu me and consider if your skills and career choice are still relevant. You may decide that a transition to a new field of work is in order. A career change could lead you to an exciting and long, happy work life. People who have transitioned from another career into HR, for example, have shared their stories. Embark upon your own career exploration- at any age. Even if you have maintained your relevance in the workplace, you can still redesign your career if that is your goal. Bottom Line Age discrimination is prevalent even in workplaces that commit to non-discriminatory practices. Like other forms of discrimination, it is relevant, prevalent, illegal, subtle, and preventable.

How to Lead in a Meeting When Youre Not the Leader

How to Lead in a Meeting When Youre Not the LeaderHow to Lead in a Meeting When Youre Not the LeaderIf you view meetings as a necessary evil to suffer through, you might be missing out on the ideal setting to showcase your leadership skills.As Luann Pendy, vice president of global quality at Medtronic explains, Meetings are your greatest opportunity to be visible and show your organization what you bring to the table. Pendy should know. She oversees quality operations and is charged with ensuring that medical devices for patients worldwide are of the highest quality and reliability. Meetings are how we get work done, she continues. But shes leid always the one calling the shots. I spend most of my time participating in meetings rather than leading meetings. I make it my objective to be a good meeting participant because then leaders want me to come to their meetings to help them.You see, to be recognized as an up-and-coming leader, youll need to provide evidence that youre capable of delivering much more than your job description asks for. As Pendy puts it, You can use your time in meetings to show your effectiveness, your intelligence, and your leadership skills. Its hard to showcase that potential when youre sitting at a workstation, head down, doing your job.Speaking up and contributing in meetings can be your best opportunity to shift others perception of you from tactician to strategist, from task achiever to change-agent, and from doer to leader. With your teammates, management, and occasionally, key senior leaders in the room, meetings are a tailor-made platform for you to shape how others in your organization perceive you.To take advantage of that opportunity, here are four of Pendys top tips for how to lead in meetings, even when youre not the meeting leader.1. Know Your RolePrior to the meeting, study the agenda and understand your role in the conference. Pendy recommends considering several key questions, like Why were you invited to the meeting? How does the leader want you to participate? What is the purpose of the meeting? What is expected of you? Then, deliver beyond those expectations. Its very important to make sure that you fulfill the role thats expected of you, she adds.For example, are you there to give a status update from your part of the business? Dont just say, Things are going well, when you can bring facts and data to make your point with greater authority. Instead, say, Customer satisfaction is up 3% over last month, and give your analysis of why. Or if youre coming in as an outside expert (e.g., as a marketing specialist attending an engineering meeting), try to bring a unique perspective, such as being the customers champion. If you dont know your role, ask. At the very least, youll earn points for caring.2. Speak UpSeveral years ago, Pendy received feedback that she welches perceived as hard to read and quiet in meetings, and, as a result, people found it difficult to work with her. These comments were eye-o pening for Pendy. Id go the meetings and be very courteous and respectful, Pendy explains. I was listening to what everyone was saying, processing it, and learning, she said. By doing that, however, some co-workers felt that she wasnt engaged or interested in what was going on. So I changed, she recounts. She started speaking up and immediately started receiving more positive feedback. Employees said, Thanks for supporting me. My peers said, Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your ideas. And the management said, Thanks for leading. Rather than wait for permission or an invitation to speak up, come prepared with the expectation that you will contribute. Brainstorm at least three talking points in advance, and challenge yourself to bring up each point during the meeting. It becomes harder to break into the conversation as a meeting progresses, so speak up early on to establish your voice in the room.And if you dont have suggestions that add value to the conversation? Speaking up to advocate for a co-workers point of view or asking a well thought-out question can go just as far.3. Find Meeting MentorsPendy suggests finding a role model who navigates meetings well. Find someone within your organization who is very savvy with corporate etiquette and successful at leading and participating in meetings. Observe them to see how their behavior contributes to their success, she offers. Youll learn a lot about your organizations culture and etiquette.For example, figure out how many questions and comments are considered appropriate, and whats considered over the top. In some corporate cultures, questions are better received outside of the meeting, and if youre working against that etiquette, youll find it difficult to succeed. Or, for example, lets say you see a more efficient way for a project timeline to be structured. It helps to know if meeting etiquette dictates that the change be made by group consensus then and there, or if you probably shouldnt take up meeting time deliberating an issue that could be quickly handled in a private conversation. By paying close attention to the unwritten and unspoken rules of meeting etiquette, you can lead effectively while avoiding missteps that could damage your reputation.4. Be PresentIf you were included on the meeting invite, youre expected to be there to contribute. An important part of that is to sit at the table. Oftentimes, I see junior employees come into a room where theres a big, long conference table and try to find the chair in the corner away from the table, said Pendy. That doesnt come across as being positive, confident, engaged, and enthused. The way to get a seat at the table is to show up on time or early so theres an open seat.According to Pendy, your posture is important, too. Put your elbows on the table- something your mother taught you never ever to do at dinner, she recommends. Surprised? When youre in a business meeting, if youre leaning forward and youre putting your elbows on th e table, it tells the group youre engaged, interested, and have something to contribute.Harvard geschftsleben School associate professor Amy Cuddys TED Talk has gathered over 16 million views, popularizing the power pose- the Wonder Woman stance that boosts self-confidence while increasing others perception of your authority. According to Cuddy, stand up to speak if possible, with feet comfortably apart, shoulders back, chin up, and expansive arms, so that your body language adds credibility to your message. It works when seated, too sitting up straight with arms out increases the space you take up, which is a demonstration of power. Finally, dont leave the meeting without volunteering to lead something or take on an action item. Youll guarantee yourself a spot on the agenda in the next meeting.Photo of meeting courtesy of Shutterstock.