Close the Pay Gap Now
All individuals must be compensated fairly and equitably for their work.
Problem
Women in the U.S. today are paid 82 cents for every dollar a man makes. Minorities get paid even less. Research suggests this pay gap will not close until 2093. Occupational segregation (men dominating fields that pay more), lack of transparency around how salaries are determined, discrimination, and the “motherhood penalty” add fuel to the fire. Politicians that try to address the gender pay gap tend to mainly focus on “after-the-fact” solutions--where minorities and women get compensation after learning they were compensated unfairly--rather than addressing the roots of the problem.
Our plan
Address inequality and inaccessibility that exist in the workplace.
Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to enhance accountability and transparency among employers, and to prohibit retaliation against employees for discussing their wages.
Pass the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY) to guarantee paid family and medical leave for all workers nation-wide.
Pressure Congress to invest in affordable childcare, and increase funding for the expansion of existing public after-school programs.
Apply pressure on employers to conduct regular pay audits, post salary ranges for jobs, and eliminate the use of salary history to set wages.
Promote workplace policies and practices that actively create inclusive corporate cultures, especially within traditionally cis white male-dominated industries such as the tech industry.
Mandate inclusive hiring practices, such as:
Re-writing job postings to be more gender-inclusive.
Employing blind hiring techniques.
Utilizing pre-hire personality assessments.
Using sourcing methods that contain more diverse candidates.
Practicing automated resume-screening using AI.
Advocate for changes in the workplace that allow for flexible scheduling, and limit the rewards for working long hours.
Offer childcare and/or subsidies for childcare at work.
Push to reduce the executive compensation pay ratio between the most senior and the most junior people within banking and tech.
Increase funding for, and create incentives for participating in diversity and inclusivity programming such as training, affinity groups, and cross-sector collaborations.
Strictly enforce workplace sexual harassment policies and hold perpetrators accountable.
Eliminate or drastically reduce student debt to alleviate the disproportionate burden on women.
Support and expand unions that support women with bargaining collectively.
Protect workers’ wages even as labor laws change.
Invest in career and leadership development programs for women and people of color.
Promote mentorship programs.
Expand accessibility to salary negotiation courses.
Increase funding and support for community-based organizations and programs that focus on increasing girls’ and TGNC youth’s engagement with STEM.
This matters
Although pay discrimination has been illegal for over half a century in the U.S., wide disparities in pay continue to persist along gendered lines. A just and equitable society needs to value all people equally, which means compensating them fairly for their contributions. We need to eliminate the gender pay gap.