How Can More Women Rise Up The Ranks? - Page 2
In the past, flexible work arrangements have meant having to take a lesser role than you are capable of doing for less pay. Numerous women have found themselves sidelined and demotivated in jobs they are overqualified to do. If they move to new jobs, many have found that they have had to sacrifice pay in order to get the flexibility they need. The majority are just so pleased to get that flexibility that they have not pushed for higher pay. Moreover, women traditionally are not as confident as men when it comes to pay negotiations, preferring to think that they will get remunerated on merit. Unfortunately, the world does not work this way.
Would pay audits at companies make a difference? They would surely reveal the vast level of pay discrimination in companies which many women already suspect. Such unfairness in pay levels is demoralizing and demotivating for women. The UK Government this week announced that companies would be encouraged to publish data on their workforce pay on a voluntary basis.
The previous Government had promised to force companies with more than 250 employees to publish gender pay audits after 2013. Many women view this change in tack as a setback .
What incentive is there for companies to voluntarily publish figures which might show pay discrimination? Yet without parity in pay how can women expect parity in the boardroom? Surely everyone in an organisation benefits from having a broad range of opinions and backgrounds represented on the board. After all, their clients and customers are not likely to all be white, middle class men.
Picture credit: Ambro and www.freedigitalphotos.net
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