Women in the Workplace: Erasing the Gender Gap in Earnings

As a woman in her mid twenties who has recently graduated college I believe that women are treated unequally in the workplace and the gender gap in earnings is something we as women need to try and erase.

Throughout college I remember reading many articles and it being a hop topic of discussion in class how women make 80 cents on the dollar in the same position that a man would and that we as women should not expect to be treated the same as men in the workplace either. As young forward thinking woman I believed that this was a thing of the past that there was no way this gender gap of earnings was still a reality but it is. I did some research on this topic and was shocked at what is still happening in 2007.

In an article written by Dr. Warren Farrell I found on his website which summarized his 2005 book, Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap -- and What Women Can Do About It he points out why this pay gap still exists and what women can do to stop it. He outlines that it's often the choices that a woman makes in the workplace that will create the gap in earnings. Men are often putting in more hours, taking riskier jobs or more hazardous jobs, willing to change location, and training for technical jobs that involve less people contact. It is often the choices a woman makes such as not traveling, wanting a flexible schedule to take care of children, not putting in the extra hours or wanting a safe reliable job to provide for her family that helps create this gender gap in earnings.

It is important to understand that people are discriminated against in the workplace on more than just their gender in recent studies people are being discriminated according to their health status due to the rising health care costs employers are not willing to take extra risk on unhealthy employees. They are also discriminated against on their race which is a whole separate area of research but we all know this exists as a discrimination factor. All of these things aside as a Caucasian women it is important for me to know what separates me in the workplace and what I can do to ensure I receive fair pay for a job I have been hired to do. Here are eight things Dr. Warren Farrell outlines a woman can to do to ensure she receives fair pay including the best paying jobs for a woman:

As a woman I take this issue very seriously and with many more decades in the workplace I plan to keep all of these ideas in mind when planning out my future career path and so should you!!!

Concentrate on career options in the hard sciences, not the social sciences

Get hazard pay without the hazards

Choose fields with higher financial and emotional risks - Choose jobs in engineering and computer science.

Put in the hours - Put in the time at the office let your superiors know you are there to stay and are willing to do what it takes to be a member of the team.

Know the Ninety Fields that Pay Women More than Men - Investigate the professions that are off the beaten path that can earn a women higher pay such as female statisticians and speech language pathologists.

Understand the Trends Reshaping the Workplace

Being Upwardly Mobile Means Being Vertically Mobile - Be willing to travel and relocate

Switch to a higher-paying subfield

This is an important topic which affects everyone especially women. I think every woman should consider this topic and see how it affects their lives and they can take a step towards equal pay in the workplace!!