I am astounded how often I come across the idea that women in Australia (or perhaps I should say in Sydney) are merely earning to add some extra pocket money to their husband's huge wages. It is not uncommon for someone to say to me when I suggest that a particular position does not have the salary that I would expect on offer "but you're not exactly running out of money are you"? Now I fail to see how running out of money would be the reason for earning fairly. My understanding is that people should be paid fairly for the work they put in and the hours they put in.
In Australia women consistently earn less than men. A quick google search will show a good deal of evidence to back this. My belief is that women I have met in Australia are frequently prepared to offer volunteer services, pro bono work, and a variety of work-for-no pay. Voluneerism is good, and should be encouraged, as should pro bono work. But that has to be in addition to paid work. Why should women offer services free when similar services are not routinely offered by men free.
Granted, my impressions could be to do with working in the non-profit and service sector, where is seems that this idea is most prevalent. But experience in other countries is that the Third Sector is well thought of and remunerated relatively well.
I have heard, not infrequently, people saying: "but people don't do that kind of work for the money - you do it for the love of it" ?!? What's that about? Surely enjoying your work is not in place of being fairly remunerated. Take that argument a bit further and we'd have to believe that people should EITHER love their work OR be paid for it.
Balderdash.
Progress has been made in this regard - the gap is apparently getting smaller (in one article it said by 0.3% in 2007) but I think that this needs to be on the agenda of all HR decisions, and women should not be frightened to ask for their worth in remuneration. Go for it!
Friday 17 October 2008
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2 comments:
Obviously people should be living on or just above the bread line. If one earnt any more than that, then that money should go to feed the starving people.
Anyone with any savings is suspect and is probably a capitalist sympathiser and should be shot.
Never mind the plasma tv or overseas holidays. They're only things that you should win and never earn. No no.
I heard recently that women's average weekly earnings are still only 85% of male average weekly earnings, despite legislation that is supposed to promote equal pay for equal work.
Part of the problem is that women tend to work in jobs where the wages are lower, teaching, nursing, caring, and a swag of volunteering roles, and dont have real access to jobs where the pay is higher.
There is something wrong in our society when we dont value the work that women do.
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