Practical Advice for Men to End the Gender Pay Gap

Do you know what it’s like to do a job and get 80% of what you should be paid? No? Ask one of your female colleagues.

A PayScale report in 2020 found that women on average earn $0.81 for every $1 a man is paid. To put that into perspective, if a man were to stop working on the 23rd October each year, they would make the same amount of money as a woman makes in an entire year.

Since 2015, when PayScale undertook their first report, women earned $0.74 for every $1 a man was paid. In five years, the gap has narrowed, but not quickly enough. At this rate, it will take until at least 2039 for women to be paid equally.

Do you want to hear something worse? If you’re a woman of colour, the pay gap increases. Women who are either black American, African American, Hispanic, American Indian or Native Alaskan earn $0.75 for every $1 a man makes. Let that sink in. If you are a woman of colour, you are not only paid less than a man; you are also paid less than a white woman.

I don’t want this to read as sensationalist; it is not; this is real. Right now, women are being treated like second rate employees, and it must stop.

You can be part of the gender pay equality revolution.

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Myth Busting — Challenge What You Think You Know

Women are less qualified than men, that’s why they’re paid less

Simply put, this is not true.

When you compare the earnings of men and women with identical jobs, seniority, experience, industry, job location, etc. it is found that women are still paid less than men. On average, in 2020, women are paid $0.98 for every $1 a man earns.

Unfortunately, the gap has not improved in the last four years. What we are witnessing here is unconscious bias.

Women seek lower-paid jobs, that’s why they’re paid less

The partial truth is women are more likely than men to want a flexible job to care for a growing family. Therefore, women are willing to take a lower-paid job to do so.

But, not all women are looking for flexibility in their jobs. Women, too, contribute to every level of business. What you will find is at the most senior level — the executive ranks — this is where the gender pay gap is at its greatest. Women are paid 5% less than their male equivalent, i.e. same job and qualifications.

So, no, the pay gap is not attributable to the women seeking lower-paid jobs.

Women take career breaks so have less experience than men, that’s why they’re paid less

Sadly, this isn’t a myth.

Women are more likely than men to take a career break to bring up a young family. As a result, women are hit with what is known as the ‘motherhood penalty’. Women are paid less due to having less experience than a man.

But, as said before, when you compare a man and women with equal qualifications and experience, women are still being paid less than men. Again, this is unconscious bias at best.

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Make A Difference — What You Can Do As A Man

Address your unconscious bias

Absolutely everyone has unconscious biases, but not everyone realises they do. For those that do realise they have unconscious biases, few take the time to understand what they are.

Do yourself a favour, take the time to search your unconscious biases — you’ll learn a lot about yourself.

If your prejudice is in favour of men, try to understand why and make the necessary changes to your thinking.

Lobby your company

What would help women’s plight would be for men to talk about the discrimination women face openly. The pay gap was created by men, not necessarily you, but you add to the underlying issue by merely taking your pay each month.

The least you can do is talk about the elephant in the room. Join the women around you and make sure that pay discrimination is at the forefront of your organisation’s mind. It could be the difference needed to help bridge the gap.

Benchmark your company’s pay structure

To fully appreciate the disparity in pay, your organisation needs to benchmark what it’s paying its staff. Often a company will say that it’s not possible, but with the right information, it is easily doable.

Every company should have the necessary information stored by HR, but there’s nothing stopping it working with its staff openly to perform the exercise. You, as a man, should be encouraging the company to do the right thing — undertake the exercise and make it public.

Embrace the gap, own it and make the changes needed to eradicate the pay gap.

Take a voluntary pay cut

Before you roll your eyes, let me say this: this is not something that everyone can do; I know I can’t. But, if you can, it’ll go a long way to support your female peers.

Whether it’s taking a cut on your current pay packet or turning down a pay rise, your company needs to know why you are doing it. This money cannot go back into their pockets; it’s intended to readjust the pay balance. Make it so.

The ‘Motherhood penalty’

If you’re in a position of influence, it’s time to do away with such nonsense. Sure, mothers are out of the business world for a time, but during it, they are developing skills which every business needs.

Skills like organisation, prioritisation, emotional resilience and networking — these are developed while mothers are stepping away from their careers. Each of these skills is in high demand and are transferable, so why are they not recognised adequately in terms of pay?

Do away with the penalty by rewarding women for their highly tuned skills developed away from the office.

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Takeaways

The gender pay gap is real — The gender pay gap has narrowed in the last five years, but it is still too wide. Overall, women are paid 20% less than men and women, when compared to men with the same experience and qualifications, are still paid less. The more senior a woman is the more significant the pay gap to her male equivalents.
Unconscious biases are part of the pay gap — The issue is not that you have unconscious biases; it’s that you don’t know how they are impacting the people around you. Stop and think what your preconceptions are. Are they hurting the women around you? Why are they and what can you do to address these biases?
Men should act now to close the gap — Whether this is challenging your preconceptions, lobbying your company for equal terms for women or supporting a gender pay equality revolution, you need to be part of the solution. There is no time like the present to act, start now!

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With special thanks to Georgie lucy

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Previously published on Medium.com.

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