Men are generally getting more pay than their female colleagues for the same work. While it’s true that there is a pay difference in some industries, I think that’s because they’re less likely to take time off, and sometimes people may not be as well compensated for similar roles. Many factors play into which occupation pays better, including experience, career growth, education level, training opportunities, and workplace culture.
The problem is that people tend to focus too much on the sex factor when discussing pay inequality. As a result, women often aren’t willing to speak about how to make more money for themselves. Their male friends will say anything to avoid discussing being paid less or having to pay more for childcare. In other words, female friends are afraid to talk about what’s going on if they were told about how females are getting paid less for similar jobs, which might encourage others to do so, thus leading to even larger wage gaps for both genders.
However, I recommend taking some time away from your desk to think about this. Do you genuinely enjoy your position? Have you ever thought about resigning or leaving your current company? Did you feel guilty for giving someone else more responsibility when you were making the wrong decision? These questions will allow you to understand why you feel that way and give a clearer picture of the situation. Then, once you’ve answered those questions, try to decide whether these feelings are worth adding to your current life. If you find that they’re quite strong, then it’s best to continue working from the assumption that they’re simply ways to compensate for something that shouldn’t be going on. If you believe that their gender has an influence on their ability to do specific tasks, then think about whether you’d expect them to perform the same skill in another role. After all, how could anyone expect women to give birth in the future? It’s only human, after all.
I think the issue with paying different prices for men and women is the fact that employers assume that girls will have an easier time accepting lower-paying jobs than boys, and guys will have a harder time adjusting to bigger salaries. For example, a doctor will probably prefer to see fewer patients than a salesperson if he knows that his patient base is almost exclusively made up of students. Yet, despite the obvious choice in favour of one profession over another, society still puts pressure on male doctors to get the most out of every patient. Shouldn’t everyone be expected to treat each person equally? What am I supposed to think when I see a woman who has more time on her hands for childcare and housework? Unfortunately, many other professions follow suit, and there are far fewer male physicians compared to the number of women.
If you’ve never discussed salary with your manager or colleague before, give it some time. Many companies do offer incentives for workers to stay with them after they’ve been offered promotions or other raises. Once you’ve decided that it’s worth discussing the matter further, your boss may want to suggest finding a partner for the next few years to reduce the stress of looking for another job. Of course, you’ll have to decide whether it suits you, not that it doesn’t suit you. Your employer wants you to succeed and grow. Don’t hesitate to ask him about possible responsibilities that could help him. Perhaps he’d prefer an assistant to supervise specific projects rather than you are supervising everything yourself. He could also ask you to spend some extra time on personal stuff. When you’re considering a promotion plan or a new salary job, remember that your manager knows what goes on in your industry, and he’ll tell you that you must take care of yourself first!
It’s better to talk about your worries with your boss than to keep them to yourself and become irritated every day.
By Mehreen Bano
