Gender Wage Gap

The Gender Wage Gap is the pay difference between men and women in the same role. Generally, women workers are offered lower salaries than men in the same position. Women often leave their jobs or take a sabbatical to fulfill caregiving responsibilities at home, which ultimately affects their work experience, leading to further widening of the gap in pay.

Causes of Gender Wage Gap:

The gender wage gap is the result of deep-rooted conditioning that sees men as the primary breadwinner and women as the caretaker of a family.

As a result of this belief, men are paid more because they have a family to feed, whereas women are not seen as someone who would take up that duty.

Many variables contribute to the gender pay gap, including race and ethnicity, disability, educational attainment, and age. As a result, salary disparities exist among various categories of women.

Some common scenarios that lead to a Gender Wage Gap:

1. There is a lack of motivation and career prospects. Some occupations, particularly those in STEM, are viewed as male-dominated industries, and women are discouraged from pursuing them. Even if women do, they do not receive the same pay as men. Women are encouraged to take lower-paying careers such as teaching, nursing, and so on.
2. Work experience and a gap in work are two factors to consider. Women frequently take time from work to care for their children, resulting in career pauses. As a consequence, individuals are offered a position that is a good fit for their qualifications.
3. Work hours are different. Women are naturally expected to look for their children’s every need. As a result, their employment availability is jeopardized. Men, on the other hand, are not affected in the same way, allowing them to work longer hours.so, men have the advantage of working longer hours than women.
4. Even though many nations have laws against gender-based pay discrimination, firms still pay women less than males, primarily because their previous wage was lower or because they took a professional sabbatical.

What can HR do to decrease the Wage Gap?

Here are some ways that HR professionals may help their company close the gender wage gap:

1. Set compensation ranges for a certain employment role: Pay your staff on their expertise and experience rather than their former income.
2. Take steps to eliminate unconscious prejudice. Use tools such as Textio or Gapjumpers to keep the focus solely on the candidate’s skill set.
3. Provide options for those who are obliged to quit due to family obligations. Allow moms to work without worrying about their children by providing flexible working hours or a daycare facility at work. By giving paid paternity leaves, you may try to flip the entire gender prejudice.
4.  If you can, be as transparent as possible regarding each employee’s salary. To avoid any type of discrimination, many European firms are freely disclosing each employee’s wage.