Saying something over and over again still doesn’t make it true.
That’s the interesting thing about this never-ending discussion regarding pay differences between men and women.
The issue was again brought into the national spotlight when actress Patricia Arquette used the Oscar stage on Sunday to appeal for wage equality. “It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America,” she said.
I’m not an economist and can’t speak to the science on this issue. What I do know, however, is that many respected organizations — after decades of thoughtful research — are saying the issue is overblown.
In 2009, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a report that should have put this whole debate to bed. The reported, among other things, that the issue “continues to be used in misleading ways to advance public policy agendas.”
While the raw wage gap in that report was 20.4 percent, the adjusted gender wage gap is between 4.8 and 7 percent. That is a significant difference.
The reason for that difference becomes clear when you consider the reality of work for men and women. Many women make life and family choices that affect their pay, including leaving the workforce for a time to raise children, taking part-time work at lower pay to be more available to family, choosing careers in lower-paying jobs, and choosing family-friendly benefits in lieu of higher pay.
The forward of the Labor report concluded: “This study leads to the unambiguous conclusion that the differences in the compensation of men and women are the result of a multitude of factors and that the raw wage gap should not be used as a basis to justify corrective action. Indeed, there may be nothing to correct.”
The government has played a leadership role in addressing this issue. Starting as early as 1935, the federal government has been protecting pay for women through the National Labor Relations Act (1935), the Equal Pay Act (1963), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Wage Transparency Act (2008). In Colorado, we have had the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act in place since 1957.
These are broad, groundbreaking pieces of legislation, and they are very clear: Wage discrimination is against the law.
So, we have to ask, what is the problem?
When I testified on this issue before the Colorado legislature in January, I saw a lot of passion from those in attendance. What struck me is that a legislative solution is not what is needed.
As an employer, I can tell you that men often come into the workforce with better skills in negotiating their pay, speaking up for themselves if they feel something is amiss, and asking for opportunities for advancement.
Supporting programs that would help women with these skills is what we really need today. We don’t need another law on the books. We need to help women gain the skills they need to advocate for themselves in the workplace.
Let’s establish a nonprofit to help fund staffing, research, outreach and education efforts. A great benefit of this kind of independent, non-government organization is that there would be no limit on the number of volunteers who could join. Many professionals in this community would be honored to lend their passion and expertise to mentor working women.
We have talked about a government solution to this problem for a long time. But the government has already played its part. Wage discrimination is illegal. What we need today is an approach that addresses the real issue.
It’s time to stop talking about this. It’s time to stop demanding another government solution. It’s time to move this into the private sector and let concerned, passionate advocates move this issue forward.
Kathie Barstnar is president/CEO of Whiting Management Resources.
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