How do you champion equity in the workplace, and why is this necessary?
Despite ongoing efforts to address pay disparities, a significant wage gap based on gender, race, and ethnicity. Some people believe that taking steps to ensure equal pay for all is crucial for promoting fairness and social justice. However, others argue that such actions may result in unintended negative effects and cause more harm than good.
Human resource directors and hiring managers have frequently emphasized the significance of equity in the workplace, alongside diversity, inclusion, and equality. Despite these goals, they continue to be challenging to achieve in today’s work environment. As a result, it begs the question, what advancements have been made regarding equal pay in recent times?
Equal Pay: How Far Have We Come?
In September 2022, black women earned the average of what white men were paid for the same job in 2021. It took a black woman an extra nine months to make the same amount as her white male counterpart.
How does this fare in comparison with other ethnicities?1
On average, the wage gap between women and men improved significantly in 2022 compared to the year before. According to Equal Pay Day, female workers in the United States earned the same amount as men by March 15, 2022. This is compared to 2021 when the pay gap took women in the labor force up to March 21 to catch up with what male employees earned.
However, when you zero in on black female workers, the wage gap gets wider. In 2021, Equal Pay Day for black women was achieved on August 3, but in 2022, it took them until September 21, showing the apparent wage gap across genders and ethnicities.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islander female workers earned 75 cents for every dollar their white male counterparts made. Mothers earned 58 cents for every dollar earned by fathers. This is the same amount that black female workers earned compared to white males.
On the other hand, Native American women and Hispanic female workers are facing more significant challenges. Native American women earned only 51 cents, while Hispanic women earned just 54 cents for every dollar earned by male employees.
Workplace Equity: Dismantling Racism at Work
The truth of the matter is that the impacts of workplace sexism go far beyond wage equity.
When a workplace is not fair to everyone, it can cause problems like small acts of discrimination, harassment, and different rules for different people. One big problem is when qualified women and people from different ethnic backgrounds can’t get top jobs in certain industries, like tech. This is often called the “corporate glass ceiling.”
When you truly understand and prioritize workplace equality, it can create a positive and healthy environment for your company. By promoting inclusivity and diversity, you can create a workplace that benefits everyone, including your employees and customers.
Workplace Equity and Why It’s a Boon for Your Company:
1. Workplace Equality is a Basic Ingredient for Your Employees to Thrive
Workplace equity is the ultimate assurance you can give your employees to show your commitment to their success in your organization.
The first thing that you need to do is create a safe space for them in your company. Your employees will never feel safe if you are not treating them fairly.
Employees who believe their workplace values equity, diversity, and inclusion are more motivated, productive, and committed to doing their best work. By creating an equitable workplace, you can address employee retention and engagement and encourage your employees to stay with the company and produce good results.
2. It Contributes to the Success of Your Learning and Development Plans
If your organization doesn’t have clear plans for fairness, it could hurt your efforts to train and develop employees for future roles. Without a way to measure each employee’s skills and figure out what training and support they need, it’s hard to make sure everyone has an equal chance to move up in the company.
Providing employee training and development based on fairness and equity can help them succeed because it ensures they receive the right training and skill-building opportunities.
3. It Improves Your Employer Brand
Candidates see companies that champion pay equity and equality in the workplace as great places to work. This should give your company the edge in hiring top candidates amidst this competitive labor market.
When you make an effort to be fair and equal in the workplace, it shows that you are committed to hiring people no matter their gender or ethnic background. This should be clear in how you hire and welcome new employees. Doing this can help your company with advertising, branding, and recruiting new employees.
4. Generate More Revenue in the Long Run
Many employers feel that prioritizing wage equity will hurt the company’s resources. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
A study by the Boston Consulting Group revealed that companies that prioritized diversity and equity generated 19 percent more revenue than those that did not. You can also bring in a diverse team and make conscious efforts to bridge the wage gap, and you will earn more revenue in the long run. 2
The Salary Transparency Law
To give pay equity a boost in the workplace, a number of US states have enacted salary transparency laws. In these states, a great majority of companies are required to post salary ranges in all of their job posts.
The law also requires companies to provide transparency on how much their existing employees earn or the salary range for a particular role in the organizational ladder.
Because of salary transparency laws, you now have the perfect motivation to take a closer look at your salary structure. This will help ensure that the salaries you offer are equitable for all employees who are in similar roles.
A recent survey published by Forbes revealed that companies that disclosed their pay ranges attracted more applicants than those that did not.3 Gen Z workers, in particular, are more likely to apply for a job if the company discloses the pay range from the get-go. The same survey revealed that most of them will not attend a job interview if the pay range for the role they are applying for is not disclosed.
In addition, Generation Z workers are often more interested in working for companies with a strong culture of fairness and diversity.
Read more: New Grads are Always in Demand. Here’s What They Want Out of Work
Laws requiring salary transparency can be a great way to ensure that workplaces are fair and diverse. They also give companies a good reason to re-examine how they pay their employees, not just to follow the law but to improve employee happiness and motivation, which benefits both employees and the company
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References
- “Equal Pay Day Calendar.” AAUW. 29 Nov. 2022. Web. 20 Feb. 2023.
- Lorenzo, Rocío, Nicole Voigt, Miki Tsusaka, Matt Krentz, and Katie Abouzahr. “How Diverse Leadership Teams Boost Innovation.” BCG Global. BCG Global, 22 Jan. 2023. Web. 20 Feb. 2023. https://www.bcg.com/publications/2018/how-diverse-leadership-teams-boost-innovation?zd_source=hrt&zd_campaign=5804&zd_term=chiradeepbasumallick
- Cruzvergara, Christine Y. “Why New Pay Transparency Laws Are Good for Recruiting.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 24 Nov. 2022. Web. 20 Feb. 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecruzvergara/2022/11/23/why-new-pay-transparency-laws-are-good-for-recruiting/?sh=57751f3b3e82