Gender pay gap persists and demands reform

Equal Pay Day is March 24. Since the Equal Pay Act of 1963 became law, the gender pay gap has narrowed but it has not disappeared. Progress has hit a plateau. Over a lifetime of work, that gap amounts to over a million dollars not there to save for a rainy-day fund, not there to keep children out of poverty and not there to set aside for retirement.

To bolster the 1963 law, HR 7, The Paycheck Fairness Act, is introduced in the U.S. House for the 2020-21 session. It will make three simple and effective changes: remove barriers to discussion of salary, prevent pay based on salary history and reinstate the requirement to report salary data based on gender. This is a win-win. Employees put forward their best efforts when they see their compensation as equitable in a fair workplace.

To read specifics visit aauw.org. Make the effort to contact your representatives and senators asking for their support of HR 7. I doubt that you want your daughter, granddaughter, little sister or my great-niece graduating to a gender pay gap.

I also remind everyone that the American Association of University Women provides online tutorials for salary negotiations.

Mary Hoffman

American Association of University Women

Decorah