WHAT WE CAN DO
All employees deserve to receive equal compensation and benefits for their work. Individual initiatives have the power to influence and inform the structure around them. The resources below are designed to help you gather the pay data you need to determine how big your wage gap is and confidently negotiate against this structure of inequality.
Step 1: Determine the Gap
Pay disparities are often not limited to one's salary. They may be present across one's employment compensation or apparent in one or two categories. In some cases, your employer may provide this information upon request. You may also find data on such benefits from pay databases such as PayScale or Glassdoor, as well as from whisper networks created by employees themselves.
Below are possible options that may be part of your employment package. Federal legislation requires you receive equal compensation for equal work. Likewise, check your state & local legislation for information on additional protections and actions you can take in the face of unequal pay and noncompliant companies.​
Salary, Pay Scale,
& Raises
If the company fails to provide you with a pay scale for your position, visit pay databases and whisper networks to find comparable data. When you receive raises, are they at a fixed percentage? This could be widening the wage gap between you and your colleagues.
Health & Welfare Benefits
Are there disparities in what health benefits you receive? Pay special attention to procedures or care specific to gender identities. Do employees face backlash for engaging in such discussions with management? Explore and analyze where discrepancies occur.
Bonus Structures
Federal law dictates that it is legal to discuss pay with your colleagues. Gather data on how often bonuses are received, how much, and under what criteria. In the face of discrepancies, create a paper trail of communication as you discuss them with management.
PTO & Leave Policies
Systemic underpayment can occur when a company penalizes leave which disproportionally impacts female employees who often bear the brunt of caretaking and parental duties as does offering only maternal leave or a pay premium for frequent overtime.
Professional Opportunities
Do you notice minority and marginalized employees are underrepresented beyond a certain level at your company? Have you hit a glass ceiling yourself? Look into the criteria your company provides for promotions and other opportunities.
Retirement Benefits
Receiving lower pay across one's career directly affects their Social Security benefits in retirement. Likewise, disparities across pension plans still persist. If you have been underpaid by your employer, what steps will your employer take to rectify these costs?
Step 2: Break the Culture of Pay Secrecy
Pay Databases & Spreadsheets
To identify how your salary and other benefits compare to market value, one must gather data both outside of and inside your company. One way to do this is through public-pay databases such as Glassdoor or the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These entities have organized pay information given to them by companies and industries, which can be a good start as you draft an expected pay range. For more specific information, look for a pay spreadsheet that may be circulating for your industry. Individuals use these spreadsheets to input their salary, company, and other employment benefits, often offering a raw perspective into the industry.
Explore examples of resources above, curated by Creative Lives in Progress
Tune into the Whisper Network
The National Labor Relations Act protects employees who discuss pay both in person and online. Employees across industries have created spreadsheets aimed at gathering pay data their companies failed to provide. You can create your own today with just an anonymous Google spreadsheet. Make a Google form and text it to your network, encourage them to share it to others, and observe the entries as they come in. Be sure to include questions that give respondents an opportunity to provide information overlooked even by current pay transparency legislation such as paid leave, professional opportunities, and additional pay in the form of bonuses or special raises.
For tips on how to create your own whisper network, check out Medium's article on Art + Museum Transparency network above
Step 3: Your Right To Equal Pay
Informed Negotiation
Once you have access to pay data, knowing how to effectively leverage this information will help you negotiate with your employer and receive the equal pay you deserve. Negotiations are conversations rather than confrontations which can be an opportunity to build trust and communication between employers and employees.
See Harvard Business Review's advice on effective informed negotiations
Violation Reporting
One of the biggest challenges equal pay legislation faces is enforcement. As we advocate for greater systemic enforcement, we can also take action to report companies that are noncompliant with pay transparency laws. When engaging in pay discussions, it is important to have a paper trail and know what resources can protect you.
Visit California's advice for reporting violations and retaliation protection
Utilizing Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool for not only organizing pay transparency efforts such as those found in whisper networks, but also for raising awareness that the wage gap still exists and is pervasive. You have the power to advocate for pay transparency and uplift organizations committed to this research that are calling for change.
View an example of such advocacy: @salarytransparentstreet
Step 4:
ADVOCACY
