From the beginning of October onwards women work for free – in relation to the income of men. On the occasion of the Equal Pay Day 2013 Brigitta Hager was interviewed by the regional radio station ORF OÖ.
Almost 24% - that’s the difference between the income of men and women, i.e. every year women work for „free“ for 85 days. This does not only concern the personal lifestyle and self-confidence of women (and men). From an entrepreneurial point of view the recruiting and retention of well trained female employees can, for instance, be a competitive advantage. A fair salary is an important component in this equation. Different levels of income can even influence the economic development of a country – since less income does not only mean less investment and consumption but also leads to fewer financial reserves and precautions, which in turn often means poverty among the elderly.
The Equal Pay Day aims at enhancing the dialogue about the equal payment for men and women. Even though we have seen a lot of positive steps in this direction in the past, e.g. the obligatory information about the income (plus further hints about the readiness to overpay, grant certifications and take measures to combine job and family) in job advertisments – the numbers show that the income gap still exists. The Equal Pay Day does increase the social and political awareness for the topic, but women themselves are also responsible to speak up for their cause.
What can women do?
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have the self-confidence to be aware of their own strengths, support and encourage one another to challenge assumed disparity
- network to be able to estimate how high one’s market value could be, compare salaries in a safe context, doublecheck salary agreements
- find one’s way out of the well trained speechlessness and no longer content oneself with the usual „but you like to do this so much“ – a job can be fun and be well paid
- actively seek praise and acknowledgement instead of being acknowledged for one’s not speaking up
- actively ask for a salary increase – be well prepared, come up with facts and figures, estimate one’s market value, be prepared to deal with the counter arguments of one’s boss, point out one’s value for the enterprise, show will power and flexibility, take time to negotiate and not be afraid to get a (temporary) no
- learn to ask for support – e.g. in a personal coaching, where women can discover and question their inner beliefs and barriers and strengthen their self-confidence in role plays
