In Australia, the pay gap is approximately 17%.  That means that men and women who have similar qualifications, similar experience doing similar jobs are getting paid with a 17% pay gap for women and men. What?

This is worse in other countries, especially third world countries.

What I don't understand is why this is.  We are a first world country. We have women and men that are treated the same growing up.  Our vast variety of cultures and religions does not pose one gender in front of the other.  Then why? 

There are many researchers and experts that have a view.  We can debate about these.  What I am more interested in covering in this BLOG is how do we close it.  What are the practical ways if you are a woman, you can go about changing this?  

I have also had the opportunity to mentor many women who find the pay gap and often leave the organisation.  They are offended by what they find.  Before you quit you job, here are my top 3 suggestions.  These are based on some trial and tested methods with women I have mentored.

1. Ask if there is any pay gaps with your manager or human resource department.  This may be when you are initially offered a job.  Or it could be now when you are two years into a job.  It does not matter when. The question is simple. 'Am I on equal pay to others with similar experience in the same role?
2. If the answer is yes, make a note of it.  If the answer is no, ask why and if it can be reviewed within next quarter.  If the answer is no again, then take it to step 3.
3. Engage a local recruitment consultant and ask what the salary is for your role in the current market in your city.  Get a range.  Work out where you sit in that range.  Lower end, middle or higher end.  It could be that your organisation pays everyone at one end of the scale.  Once you establish this, another meeting needs to be had with your manager or human resources. You ask for a pay rise.  Some ways to do this is to be in your healthy sense of ego (where you are running the show and not your ego).  Be also prepared to take in 3-5 key areas and goals you have achieved since your last appraisal.  Ask for if you can have a pay rise.  

If the organisation refuses to review or increase your pay after three times of raising it, the question that you need to ask yourself is 'Am I prepared to stay even at the lesser pay?'.  If the answer is yes, great.  If not, start looking and get very clear on your expectations for pay.  Negotiate hard.  

In my experience, it is easier to get the higher amount of money upfront rather than keep asking for pay rises.

Some women say to me 'Shivani I am happy with what I have.  I don't want to appear greedy'.  It is not about greed I tell all of them.  It is about being the same.  Then I ask them 'if it was your daughter getting paid 17% less, what would you tell them?.  Usually they have an aha moment.  They chose to guide her to close the gap.  Then why don't you, I ask?

Wishing you all the best and hoping we can all ask the harder questions to close the 17% pay gap.

Love and Regards

Shivani