It’s hard to avoid the news nowadays and the sheer number of reports of women being paid less than their male counterparts.
But with so many high-profile cases coming to light, it can be hard to understand how this relates to real life and those of us who are earning less than a million pounds.
Many of these cases are actors who have discovered their male co-stars are earning two or three times more than then but how does this trickle down to those of us in normal jobs?
Don’t get caught up in the gender pay gap and make sure you’re getting your worth by following the steps below.
Speak Up
It’s not the only reason but many say the lack of women speaking up as contributing factor in them not being paid as much as men.
If you think you deserve to be paid more, then ask for it.
Ask for a private meeting and really think about why you deserve a raise, researching how much similar roles are getting paid, how you’ve developed and what your results have been.
Look for a New Job
If you’ve had no luck in securing a pay rise at your current position and you’re really not happy about it, then look elsewhere.
Be clear about your expectations and what you can offer for the role, if they feel you’re worth the role and can deliver, then you’re in with a good chance.
Speak to HR
If you’re frustrated with your employer, then the best solution is to first speak to your boss and if you’re not satisfied, then go to HR.
HR will be able to look at the situation in a diplomatic manner and report on your pay and the pay of others in the company, establishing if there is a pay gap and what can be done about it.
Seek Advice
This approach will help you to establish why you’re not getting paid as much as your male co-workers. Ask management, others in the company about your role and how you can improve this.
This also goes for your co-workers, try to discover why they are earning more, do they do something differently, are their results better or is it just because they are male.
Once you figure this out you can make the steps towards understanding if the pay gap is performance-based or gender-based.
Go Legal
If there is no resolution to the gender pay gap in your company, HR and your bosses are doing nothing for you, then you may want to consider taking legal action.
This is a lengthy process and could become costly but if you love your job, don’t want to leave the company and the pay increase is worth it, then seek legal advice to take the company to court.
If there are a number of you who are in this situation, then you may want to consider class action or at least a group tribunal.
Do you have any advice for women who may be being paid less than their male co-workers? We’d love to hear your advice so get in touch today.
