This Woman’s Work: Getting Paid Your Worth
Updated July 29, 2024
“The United States women’s national team has won four World Cup championships and four Olympic gold medals on behalf of our country. We have filled stadiums, broken viewing records, and sold out jerseys, all popular metrics by which we are judged. Yet despite all of this, we are still paid less than men – for each trophy, of which there are many, each win, each tie, each time we play. Less.”
Megan Rapinoe, US Women’s National Team for Soccer, testifying to Congress in March 2021
We are hurtling toward the final days of the Olympics, and it has been an emotional ride. From the player stories from all over the world to the cameras set up in family homes to the surprises medal contenders, the Olympics unites much of the world in cheering for wins and finishes. Personally, I’ve been watching a lot of volleyball and swimming. Now I’m getting into track and field. How about you? Drop your favorites in the comment box at LinkedIn.
I’m writing this post on the day before the USA national team (USWNT) plays for a bronze medal in women’s soccer. Their performance has been bumpy in this Olympics, especially after arriving as total favorites for gold. The USWNT are really like no other team in sports history. They have been so successful, AND they have fought hard for equal pay and working conditions. In fact, this group of women have been in a multi-year lawsuit battle with the US Soccer Federation over these needs for equality. I’m about to discuss some of the lawsuit details here; however, I highly recommend watching the USWNT document, LFG, on HBO Max.
Today’s post is the final in a blog series called This Woman’s Work, which highlights the different challenges that women face as we are asked to bring “our whole selves” to work. The COVID-19 pandemic has opened windows into our personal lives with layoffs, virtual school, and working from home. Women have carried much of the financial burden by leaving the workforce for caregiving responsibilities. When we return to the office and in-person activities, what are women bringing back?
I’ve discussed the economic burdens of the pandemic, the caregiving dilemma going forward, and the workplace sexual harassment that women face on the regular. Today I’m talking about my favorite topic – pay equity. The USWNT have been fighting for better pay and working conditions, just like so many women have been fighting for decades. As of 2020, women make 82 cents to every dollar made by men. According to a report by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the effects of lower earnings also impact retirement income with women receiving less in Social Security and pension. FYI, this doesn’t include the racial and ethnic disparities created by a decrease in generational wealth.
I know, I know – it’s another doom and gloom forecast here. Yet, we need to know and recognize the truth before we can do better. And we can do better. Women’s sports provide plenty of action examples for companies and individuals:
1. Use your position of power to speak out. The U.S. men’s soccer union recently spoke out against the US Soccer Federation’s treatment of the USWNT. Some of the men’s players said that USWNT players have been treated as ‘second-class citizens’ for decades. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has also filed a similar statement. No matter your position in an organization, you can speak out for the women around you.
2. Eliminate salary history questions. Hispanic women make 55 cents to a white man’s dollar. Black women make 63 cents to a white man’s dollar. These are facts. If we know these facts, then why do we still use salary histories to determine employee pay? A woman’s salary history reflects a lifelong pay disparity, so using it as a measure going forward only perpetuates the inequity. I recommend paying people based on the cost of living for that location and market rates for that position. No matter your position in an organization, you can ask for more transparency in pay decisions.
3. Offer equal working conditions. This is especially important in hybrid workplaces and when employees are located in more than one location. Here’s another sports world example. An independent law form hired by the NCAA this week released their findings about equity issues in basketball. Since the NCAA budgeted so much toward earnings from the men’s basketball tournaments, they did not put the same investment into providing the women’s programs with equal programs or training facilities. What does this look like at your place of work? Maybe it’s the sales group that gets better rewards at your organization. I’m not sure, but every worker deserves the opportunity to succeed. And that starts with strong pay and working conditions.
As I’ve said before, women are not monoliths. We bring a deep and varied experience to every role. We also bring intersectional identities that enhance our perspectives. And we carry a heavy and oftentimes unseen burden throughout our lives. This series has been about increasing your awareness around women’s issues. To end this series, I ask you to take actions to help women. A just society promotes growth and opportunities for everyone.
You can read the first three posts in this series here:
This Woman’s Work: What Women Bring to Work — Loftis Partners
This Woman’s Work: The Caregiving Dilemma — Loftis Partners
This Woman’s Work: Taking Care of Yourself — Loftis Partners
Photo by Vienna Reyes on Unsplash