Start Talking about Pay!
Learn Some Conversation Starters
When it comes to compensation, many people think there鈥檚 safety in silence: Don鈥檛 ask anyone what they earn, and don鈥檛 discuss your own paycheck. But the reality is that staying quiet actually reinforces pay inequality.
That鈥檚 why 麻豆传媒, a leader in the fight for fair pay, is creating safe opportunities for workers to start talking. On October 5, 2021, we convened a group of professional women鈥攁nd an expert panel鈥攆or a candid conversation about how to create workplaces that make fair pay a reality. This was the first in a three-part series, Equal Pay Every Day, focused on how New York City-based employers can help to close the gender and racial pay gaps.
Here鈥檚 what the panelists had to say about getting the compensation conversation going with various people, including:
Managers and Business Owners. Bringing evidence of unfair pay to a boss may feel scary, but addressing such concerns is part of their job. In some cases, managers may not even be aware that internal pay inequality exists.
Other times, they maintain the status quo because they believe doing so is in their interest鈥攁s long as no one calls them out on it. 鈥淚 think any business owner, even if they鈥檙e well intentioned, [will] take an opportunity to save money,鈥 said Angela DeGeorge, an architectural designer at Dameron Architecture PLLC, New York, N.Y., and 2017-18 麻豆传媒 Selected Professions Fellow. Yet 鈥渁s soon as [pay inequity] is mentioned, I find that business owners do correct it,鈥 DeGeorge said.
Once you鈥檝e discovered examples of unfair compensation, banding together with other employees can be a smart way to find strength鈥攁nd security鈥攊n numbers, according to Helen S. Jarrett, mobilization coordinator for the union CWA (Communications Workers of America) Local 1180 in New York. That鈥檚 what Jarrett and five colleagues did in a previous job. 鈥淭he boss said he was so appreciative that we came in and approached him first rather than going to the union,鈥 she said.
Unions. Speaking of unions, they can be strong forces for equity if employers fail to act after being made aware of pay discrimination. For example, CWA Local 1180 won a lawsuit against the City of New York on behalf of a group of employees鈥攎ost of whom were women and people of color鈥攚ho were paid substantially less than white men for years.
It was a major win for equity in New York, with $15 million dollars awarded to 2,000 individuals, Jarrett said. For Rosario 鈥淩osie鈥 Roman, the union鈥檚 administrative manager, that meant she received a 25% increase in pay. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been life-changing,鈥 Roman said. And none of this could have happened if employees stayed quiet.
Other Women. 鈥淲omen tend to have much more 鈥榠mposter syndrome鈥 than men,鈥 DeGeorge said. That鈥檚 why having a network of women to cheer you on can be helpful. 鈥淲hen it鈥檚 time to have an annual review, we all call each other and we try to support each other,鈥 she said. 鈥淓veryone has those feelings of anxiety and nervousness 鈥 even though I know they are so talented and so worth it 鈥 .鈥
Asking colleagues what they earn is a good way to identify patterns of unfair pay, but be careful about talking to co-workers. First, make sure you鈥檙e complying with state and local laws, which could include prohibitions on discussing compensation with other employees.
Also, realize that some people may feel skittish about sharing. If you do ask, DeGeorge suggests language that frames the issue in broad鈥攔ather than personal鈥攖erms: 鈥淚n the spirit of fair pay and transparency, would you feel comfortable sharing your salary?鈥
Yourself. After DeGeorge lost a job during the pandemic, she started working as a freelance designer and was unsure about how much to charge. 鈥淚t was a challenge to learn to be fair to myself,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 like grappling with that question, but I had to do it.鈥
In addition to researching the market, women may need to do some soul-searching to feel confident asking for what they deserve. Tools like 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Work Smart Online can help women to craft their requests professionally and develop value statements.
鈥淚 can advocate for my clients. I will fight for them,鈥 Roman said. 鈥淚 find it more difficult to speak up for myself.鈥 Ultimately, however, she did when it counted most. 鈥淚 stepped forward out of my comfort level to say 鈥業鈥檓 worth it.鈥欌
鈥擟hristina Folz
The Panelists
Angela DeGeorge
2017-18 麻豆传媒 Selected Professions Fellow and architectural designer at Dameron Architecture PLLC, New York, N.Y.
Helen S. Jarrett
Mobilization coordinator and executive board member, CWA (Communications Workers of America) Local 1180, New York, N.Y.
Rosario 鈥淩osie鈥 Roman
Administrative manager level II, CWA Local 1180, New York, N.Y.