Is there a Gender Pay Gap issue in the West?

a reply to: Edumakated

I was wondering if negotiation played a role.

I think it is generally accepted that overall, men are more aggressive than woman.

Maybe that aggressiveness translates into men successfully negotiating higher salaries more frequently.

I have worked for the government for the last 11 years and we all make the same regardless of sex.

Seniority and the level of the position one holds is the only thing that creates a pay gap.

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
a reply to: Wardaddy454

I believe Mr. Sowell can speak for me.

Why would you want somebody else to form your opinions for you ?...

Agreeing with a POV is one thing having someone speak for you is another beast entirely ....

I mean it works for the unions..

originally posted by: SlapMonkey

originally posted by: Phage
So, merit based. I'm all for that.
I've worked with women who were just as good, if not better, than me but earned less.

Do you have any further information as to the possible reason behind that, other than passively implying that it's only because they are women?

You must realize you are asking for information from someone who dips his feet in the water and calls it proof of climate change.

What responsibility do women have regarding the wag gap?

This new feminism which aims to get results by complaining to the men until they fix everything seems to miss the point of feminism and equality.

a reply to: Krahzeef_Ukhar

lol..... it can be fixed?? really?? not in my lifetime I am sure. it's a complicated issue, with many reasons for it being, some of which is justifiable. if we want a future generation to take over the world, women will have to bear children. that's a given! so saying that a women deserves a lower pay just because she has decided to take time off work to give her children a headstart isn't really a that constructive. unless of course, you wish for them to take your advice and just stop having children and we can let humanity die off. society should start recognizing what is involved in raising children, the talents and skills that are needed, and women should start doing a better job of turning that experience into a marketable sales pitch that can be impressive on their job resume. but overall, the general trend over the last 50 decades has been improvement. I mean, at least now, some women get maternity leave and some employers are becoming more family friendly.

And, it isn't just an issue with women either. it can be worse for single dads, who find themselves without the government resources that seem to be more open to women. and, as long as society sees men as the main wage earners and women as the bearers and primary caregivers of children, the family court system is going to be less inclined to give custody of the children to men when marriages fall apart. after all, in most cases, the man is making considerably more than the women and that him having custody will impact his wages more than likely, thus effecting the total resources the family has and increasing the need to gov't assistance. inequality can sometimes work like that ya know, it kind of gives different perks and negative aspects to different groups, at least in this case it sure the heck does.

and, well you can't really point to the fact that women spend their husband's money and claim all is okay either. first, it's true only to the point that each individual man chooses to share with his wife, which sometimes isn't that much. and second, chances are relatively good that a point will come in the women's life where her husband is unable to provide for her.

Women who are least able to prepare for widowhood and therefore are at greatest risk of widowhood, because of the relationship between mortality and wealth, give cause for Social Security policy to remain attentive to the special situation of widows. We would suggest that additional attention be paid to the welfare of women widowed after their children have grown but before they have completed their retirement preparations. These women are generally not eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income, or Social Security and thus are most vulnerable to poverty. Even women who have some accumulated wealth are more likely to be in poverty many years later, as they are forced to spend down their wealth in the years before gaining Social Security eligibility.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

speaking from experience, this is not a fun place to be in!!!

I don't expect it to change, discrimination laws cannot change deep rooted biases that have been instilled into peoples psyches for eons, they might lessen the impact of those laws enough to enable time to convince society that the biases were unfounded is all.
But I will tell you that the gender gap does exist, and it seems to do more harm than good, to more than just the female employees that are being made to feel less significant, less appreciated, and in my case made to feel expendable. To my boss's surprise though, he was forced to learn just how difficult it was to replace me though. It took three people to replace me. I wouldn't suggest women take my route to teach the business world a better way though. it's kind of self destructive in too many ways.

a reply to: Phage

why should you earn less per hour for doing the same thing?

Because they agreed to do the job for less?

a reply to: dawnstar

Thanks for the response, it's an interesting situation.
Should a woman be penalised for taking time off to look after children?

Unfortunately I think the answer is yes.

It's not a good situation however the alternative is penalising companies who hire women.

No. Men earn the same per hour as women do

Men averaging more simply means more men than women have jobs or more men have higher paying jobs.

It doesn't mean if they were to have the same job they would get paid less

originally posted by: ScepticScot

originally posted by: crazyewok
a reply to: ScepticScot

No there should a equivalent of maternity leave for childless people.

I don't disagree at all, however the thought that people should have any protection to go back to their jobs or any entitlement to benefits would drive most right wingers into a frenzy of indignation.

originally posted by: crazyewok
a reply to: ScepticScot


Or women should just expect to get paid less.

They already do, that's kinda the point.

They don't get paid less.

They just average less

a reply to: crazyewok

This is why the younger generation will stop having babies and the US will become a geriatric nation. The ability to get pregnant, the need for birth control to prevent getting pregnant, an abortion to end a pregnancy, are all punishable offenses. Just being a woman or child in the republican world is offensive. We cost too much.

Until men acknowledge women as equal to themselves, there will always be a gender pay gap, it's inherent in most males nature. How many women do you see driving when their husbands are in the car?

originally posted by: MOMof3
a reply to: crazyewok

This is why the younger generation will stop having babies and the US will become a geriatric nation. The ability to get pregnant, the need for birth control to prevent getting pregnant, an abortion to end a pregnancy, are all punishable offenses. Just being a woman or child in the republican world is offensive. We cost too much.

Oh be quiet....we are still working out ways to make more money.....people do not matter, babies are a burden....to the current status quo...go away...

originally posted by: Manak58
Until men acknowledge women as equal to themselves, there will always be a gender pay gap, it's inherent in most males nature. How many women do you see driving when their husbands are in the car?

Define "equal". (I hope equal to you doesn't mean driving with husband in passenger seat...)

originally posted by: Wardaddy454

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
a reply to: Wardaddy454

I believe Mr. Sowell can speak for me.

Why would you want somebody else to form your opinions for you ?...

Agreeing with a POV is one thing having someone speak for you is another beast entirely ....

I mean it works for the unions..

Great...now that we have "functioning unions" life should improve for everyone....right

A woman should be earning the same as a man for the same job. Who could argue with that?
That said, averages are meaningless in terms of pay. If there is evidence of a problem whereby women with the same skill set and same experience , doing the same job as a man, are getting paid less, then it should be rectified. I just have not seen widespread evidence of this.

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

Crazywok is the poster who said women should be punished in their careers if they get pregnant. But, at the same time, preventing or getting rid of a pregnancy is bad too. So, in the republican world, it sucks to be a woman with so many telling you either way you are worthless.

originally posted by: MOMof3
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

Crazywok is the poster who said women should be punished in their careers if they get pregnant. But, at the same time, preventing or getting rid of a pregnancy is bad too. So, in the republican world, it sucks to be a woman with so many telling you either way you are worthless.

Did he really say women should be punished in their careers for getting pregnant?

a reply to: UKTruth

Go read and decide for yourself.

originally posted by: MOMof3
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

Crazywok is the poster who said women should be punished in their careers if they get pregnant. But, at the same time, preventing or getting rid of a pregnancy is bad too. So, in the republican world, it sucks to be a woman with so many telling you either way you are worthless.

Pregnancy is a choice.

If a women takes a year off work to have a baby and her work and skills suffer as a result then it expected she will not get paid as much as her male or childless women colleagues.

a reply to: crazyewok

Skills Suffer? You don't get alzheimers because you are pregnant.