How Much Are You Worth…The Pay Disparity Between Men and Women in the Workplace

.   Three best business practices which can help: 1.  Be courageous  and learn to Negotiate! Women need to learn strategies to become better negotiators and find your own voice.  The sooner women realize they are their own advocates the better we will all be at negotiating fair pay. “Tell them what you are worth…believe it…you are!” 2.  Know your company policies! Companies need to have established salary audits.  This should be a topic of conversation and a question that is brought up during interviews and performance reviews.  What are the salary guidelines?  What are they based on?  Who reviews them?  Is it individually reviewed or reviewed by a panel of men and women? If your company does not have this, gather a group of women and start a campaign! 3.  Get involved. “Know your business” Contact your legislature.  Did you know the Paycheck Fairness Act designed to improve the scope of the Equal Pay Act has not been updated since 1963?  Did you even know it existed?  That means its over 51 years old! With stronger incentives for employers to follow the law, the enhanced federal enforcement efforts are designed to better protect against retaliation when workers ask about wage practices.  We already know that lawmakers have the power and power is what makes change happen. So, when the day comes for my 13-year old daughter to work, I will teach her very differently. She will know about her courage and the strength of her voice.  She will understand her value and the importance of her contribution to a company. She will know the stories about her mother working for 78 cents on the dollar and she will have a new definition of “Equal Pay”. She will speak with confidence, claim her worth and know her value. She will do this with poise and with grace, all because those before her spoke up, showed their courage, claimed their worth, and let their voices be heard.  Related articles: Employees Are Your Most Valuable Assets 3 Issues for Hispanic Businesswomen 6 Factors to Make Work Meaningful The New Hire’s first Performance Evaluation