Posts Tagged ‘ workplace equality ’

On Ledbetter Anniversary, Paycheck Fairness Act Gets Attention

January 26, 2010
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I think I owe you some good news. Don’t you? Well here it is. I just got off a conference call with Senator Dodd, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Marcia Greenberger, Co-President of the National Women’s Law Center, and Lilly Ledbetter. Senator Dodd announced he has support from Senator Tom Harkin, Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to start hearings on the Paycheck Fairness Act.

As you may know, this week is the one year anniversary of President Obama signing the Lilly Ledbetter Act into law. The Ledbetter law gives employees a longer window to file discrimination claims. It is an important piece of legislation, but as Ledbetter said on the call, “The work is far from done.”

The Paycheck Fairness Act will strengthen the Ledbetter Act. One of the most important aspects of the bill is it will prohibit retaliation against employees who ask about or disclose their wages. Said Ledbetter, “This would have been particularly helpful to me. This policy delayed my discovery (that she was being paid less than her male peers) by decades.”

The House passed the Paycheck Fairness legislation in July 2008 but the Senate has not yet acted on it. Hearings are just the start of the process – a bill would hopefully follow and then Dodd would seek floor time in the spring. It is encouraging to hear there is movement on this legislation.

Unfortunately since the passage of the Ledbetter Act, the wage gap has increased not decreased. We need to keep working for equal pay and support the efforts of Dodd and DeLauro. As Rep. DeLauro said this morning, “This is not about women. This is about families.”  If female breadwinners are bringing home less money than they deserve, entire families are shortchanged.

Click here to send a message to your Senators that we need fair pay. I will certainly be sending a message to my new Senator.

Mass Senate Race: The Personality Parade

January 18, 2010
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Much of the media coverage of the Massachusetts special election to fill Ted Kennedy’s senate seat has focused on the leading candidates’ personalities, or perceived lack of personality in the case of Attorney General Martha Coakley. Reporters are quick to point out voters know more about Coakley professionally than personally. She has been referred to as an ice queen and a mean girl, monotone, robotic, with no fire in her belly, and the “personality of a frumpy substitute teacher.”

 The Boston Globe says,

“She hides her personality behind a businesslike veneer.”

Inherent in many of these articles I believe there is an unconscious gender bias. Many career women, especially women from Coakley’s generation, have been conditioned to separate their personal and professional personas. We are taught that in order to be taken seriously, we must be serious. We are told that to get to the top, we must emulate those at the top. And the reality is, most of the people at the top are still men.  As a result women are trained that sports talk is okay. Girl talk is not.

When I was pregnant, I tried to change the topic and redirect any conversations about my pregnancy while at work.  This despite the fact my protruding belly took up half the conference room. When I returned from maternity leave, I did not bring any pictures of my children to work and never discussed motherhood for fear I would be seen as a flight risk by my bosses.

But so much political coverage these days focuses on a candidate’s personality and so-called likeability. Is the candidate warm? Do we know them personally? And the all-important question, would we want to have a beer with them?

The above-quoted Globe article goes on to reveal some personal details about Coakley.

“Behind the scenes, Coakley reveals a quick wit and an almost easygoing personality that is striking in its contrast to her campaign identity. She expounds on her preference for pale ales (and Sam Adams or Harpoon over Guinness). She quotes lyrics from Broadway musicals (favorite: “Man of La Mancha’’). She describes hearing former governor Mitt Romney sing show tunes (yes, he can sing). She explains her unusual accent (it reflects her youth in North Adams, her career as a lawyer, and her parents’ Rhode Island origins).”

The reality is, most voters will never sit down for a beer or belt out show tunes with our elected officials. And really, why would we want to? What matters in an election is the candidates’ track records, voting history and stance on the key issues of the day. Results are what matter. At least, that’s what they taught all of us working women at the office. So to judge a woman candidate’s lack of so-called personality is to dismiss the realities of professional women. Furthermore, we are still a long way, baby, from a woman centerfold being taken seriously as a senate candidate.

Perhaps, the most ridiculous coverage I saw of Coakley, was an interview with Andy Hiller of local news station WHDH. His bio claims he is “regarded as the most provocative political reporter in New England.”

Here is some of the exchange between Hiller and Coakley:

Hiller: “With respect to your sense of humor- what’s your favorite joke?”

Coakley “Oh, I’m a horrible joke teller. I’ll be the first to tell that…” I have a horrible memory for jokes. I know them when I hear them. But I can’t give you one now.”

Hiller: “How can you replace Sen. Ted Kennedy if you can’t tell a joke? He was the best at it.”

Provocative? Hardly.

Adrian Walker at Boston.com wrote of Coakley,

“She is solid, sane, and responsible, and in a short race, that will have to see her through.”

Fine with me.

Steakhouse Settles Sex Discrimination Suit

January 5, 2010
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restaurant

Why couldn’t it have been the Ninety Nine? Every summer while on vacation, my husband and I go out to dinner with another couple. Every year I offer a long list of suggestions – waterfront restaurants where the food is marginal and overpriced but the setting is beautiful. And every year, we eat at the Ninety Nine, a chain restaurant with the ambience of a carboard box. “It’s a great value,” the men tell me.

So when I heard that a major steakhouse chain paid out $19 million to settle a sex discrimination class lawsuit, I hoped it was the Ninety Nine. Perhaps I could change our annual outing on moral grounds. But alas, it was Outback Steakhouse, a place I never frequent anywhere.

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Outback denied women equal opportunities for advancement. Women could not get promoted to the higher-level profit-sharing management positions in the restaurants. Also, the EEOC claimed women were denied access to the jobs that would put them in line for management positions.

This is not the first sex discrimination suit for Outback. In 2001, a jury awarded $2.2 million to a female employee who was paid less than a male coworker performing the same job. Across the board, the number of sex discrimination claims or “receipts” filed with the EEOC rose from 24,826 in 2007 to 28,372 in 2008. (Of the 2008 claims, 56.9 percent were determined to have no reasonable cause.) 

A December 30 article in the Economist claims, “We Did It! The rich world’s quiet revolution: women are gradually taking over the workplace.”  In numbers yes, but not in influence and earning power. We know that the number of female directors and executives in the top public companies remained flat or declined in recent years. We know the wage gap has widened. When women are denied access to higher paying jobs, like the women at Outback allegedly were, it is harder for them to earn top salaries. We know that pregnancy discrimination still exists –the EEOC received 6,285 charges of pregnancy-based discrimination in 2008.

Many think overt cases of sexism are on the decline. It’s hard to measure. But micro inequities and hidden barriers in the workplace are still affecting women’s advancement.  And these more subtle forms of discrimination can be harder to address. While we can’t control the behaviors of others, we can do everything in our own power to reach true equality at work. So as you plan your career strategy for 2010 remember to:

Ask for what you want. Some managers will assume because you are a woman and/or a mother, you may not be interested in key assignments. Make sure your boss knows your career goals.

Watch the double standard. Sad but true, it still exists. Act too strong, risk being labeled a bitch. Not tough enough, you’re a wimp. Know it exists and balance the risk/reward when taking action at work.

Hone your negotiation skills. Poor negotiating skills are often cited as one of the reasons women earn less than men. Build your skills so you can be a strong advocate for yourself.

Stay positive. Discrimination, both subtle and overt, can affect your confidence and esteem. Try to remain focused on your long term goals and not take the discrimination personally.

Take notes. If you are a victim of discrimination, document what  is happening. If you file a claim, you will need details and dates.

A Long Way from Equal

November 16, 2009
By

whpI was complaining to my father after learning a male coworker made more money than me despite the fact I was on the management team and my coworker was not. My father responded, “I didn’t think women had to deal with that anymore. I thought women were treated as equals these days.”  I’ll spare you the 30 minute rant I shared with my father in response.

The idea that women and men are equals in the workplace is a common misconception. After all, there are more women going to work every day than there are men. And women are breadwinners: a working wife, on average, contributes 42.2 percent of her household’s income. (Source: The Center for American Progress).  Women receive the majority of college degrees. But for some reason, this doesn’t add up to women rising to the tops of their organizations in any significant numbers. We know that the wage gap is widening, not closing. And, in Massachusetts alone, women are losing ground at the top.

Now, a new report from the White House Project points out just how far women still need to go in several different industries. According to “Benchmarking Women’s Leadership” women represent a mere 18 percent of top leaders. Take a look at the percentage of women who are:

*Full professors 26%

*University presidents 23%

*Fortune 500 CEOS 3%

*Among the highest paid at the Fortune 500 6%

*Movie and TV directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers 16%

*Television station owners 6%

*Newspaper publishers 18%

*News directors of radio stations 20%

*News directors at television stations 28%

*Law partners 18%

*Judges 25%

*Top military officers 11%

*Members of Congress 17%

*State legislators 24%

*Mayors 15%

*Protestant clergy and rabbis 15% (The Catholic Church,  Orthodox Judaism and Islam prohibit women from holding ministerial leadership positions.)

*College athletic directors 21 percent

The sector where women come closest to parity is nonprofit. Women represent 45 percent of nonprofit CEOS. But when you take a closer look, you will see they represent only 21 percent of the CEOs at organizations with budgets of $25 million or more. And women CEOS at these organizations earn, on average only 66 percent of what their male counterparts earn.

Maybe you are reading this and thinking, “Well I don’t want to own a television station or be a mayor or a minister. I make a decent living and have a good life.” That’s fine. But the lack of women at the top still affects you. There is a growing body of literature showing the correlation between diversity of leadership and positive results.  

Women and men approach leadership, risk management, team building and other key skills differently. Women represent 51 percent of the population and at least 85 percent of consumer buying power. In order for the United States to compete in a global market, rebound from the recession, and best represent the interests of all of its citizens, we need to shift the balance of power.

A Corporate Fantasy

November 6, 2009
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home officeYesterday I attended The Boston Club’s Corporate Salute honoring New England companies with two or more women directors on their boards. The Boston Club is a great organization, run by high caliber people who help businesses find women directors.  The event was well run and well attended. But I walked away disappointed.

Three women, two from the Boston Club and one a keynote (Sharon Allen, Chair of the Board of Directors for Deloitte LLP) spoke about the lack of women, the need for women, and the benefits of having women at the top of businesses. Allen shared stories from her personal career and was a great speaker.

But while I sat there and ate my egg frittata next to highly competent women with their oversized patent leather bags, Prada eyewear and high-heeled pumps (4 is the new 3″ fyi), I daydreamed about the speeches I wanted to hear.

You see, The Boston Club just released its annual census which looks at the number of women on boards and in the executive suites of the top 100 public companies in Massachusetts. And according to the data, not only has the Commonwealth not made any progress in this area, it is moving backwards. You can download the report here.

Women represent just 11.3 percent of all directors in Massachusetts and only 8.6 percent of all executive officers. More than half of the companies surveyed have no women C-level executives at all. The percentage of women directors is basically flat since last year but the number of women executives is the lowest it has been since The Boston Club first compiled a census in 2003. The percentage of women among the highest paid executives is 23, a full point lower than last year. For women of color, the situation is even bleaker. They represent only  two C-level executives and 10 directors at the top 100 public companies.

And so, in light of this data, I wanted the speakers to stand up and yell, “Bullshit!” I didn’t want to hear their restrain and reason – their calm discussion about how women at the top make a positive impact on the bottom-line — or how businesses benefit from diverse management teams –that businesses need a woman’s perspective to relate to their customers (remember women control at least 85 percent of all consumer purchasing power, represent 51 percent of the population, and represent the majority of today’s workforce.) I’ve heard it all before.

I wanted them to call, “Foul!” There is no legitimate reason for this lack of diversity. Women are graduating college, law school and business school at greater rates than ever, and organization’s like The Boston Club can help identify the top candidates. The women are there.

The event organizers had representatives from companies with two or more women directors stand up for recognition. In my daydream, representatives from the companies with No women at the top stood up and all of us threw tomatoes at them (they were served with the frittatas).

Is it any wonder I no longer wear high heels and carry expensive totes to work, and instead wear pajamas and Uggs to my “office” everyday?

Fear of Success or Failure?

November 2, 2009
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runI did it! I set a goal and I achieved it. Seven weeks ago, I decided I was going to run a 7 mile road race. That same day I tripped, fell and badly bruised both knees. Graceful. A week later, my knees felt better and I started to “train.” I ran just a half mile my first day. What the hell was I thinking?

By the end of the week, I was running a mile and a half. Cruising. And then, I got sick. I had an allergic reaction that caused my right eye to swell shut. You can’t run if you can’t see. Ten days later I went out again. I completed a mile. That night, I dropped an iron on my toe. Eight days later and four weeks until road race, I ran another mile.

But I kept running. And three weeks until the race, I was up to three and a half miles. I realized my goal might actually become a reality and so, I quit. I didn’t run for ten days.  

Why is it that, when the going gets good, we panic? When we can finally see what we’ve been working for, we run the other way (pardon the pun).  I do it all the time. I successfully diet, the jeans finally fit, and so I binge. I impress everyone at work, I’m headed for a promotion, and I blow a deadline. Just you wait: I’ll blog, blog, blog. I’ll build an audience and I’ll stop posting. But I’ll come back. I always do.

And so, with only a week to go until the race, I started running again. I ran four miles my first day back. At half a mile, I was gasping for air. At one and a half I started fantasizing about getting hit by a car. If you can’t walk, you can’t run. At mile three I slowed to a shuffle. At three and a half, sparks were flying from under my feet from the friction caused by dragging them on the ground. Just before mile four, I asked myself, “What’s the worst that can happen?” Death was the immediate response.

And so, with the pressure mounting, I became determined to meet my goal. I pushed for the last few days and I pushed through the race. And it felt great. It still does. But I wonder, why the self sabotage? Fear of failure or fear of success?

A Request for the Ladies: Lead from the Front

October 26, 2009
By

podiumRecently I helped organize a big community event. It was planned and hosted by a group of citizens and a town committee, on which I serve. I observed a few things during the process about me and other women.

The idea for the event came from two very smart men who shared their vision and their passion and got others on board. A young woman stepped up and organized the group as it was clear these two men were not strong in the detail department. The woman ran the planning sessions, sent group emails, kept us all on task, and did most of the leg work.  

At the event, the women from our team took on facilitating and coordinating roles. We directed, multitasked and worked behind the scenes to make sure the event ran smoothly. The men on the team took the time to make speeches, greet the local politicians who showed up, and speak to the media and pose for photo opps. The women were not pushed out of the limelight—we had equal opportunity to speak and and to network. We didn’t take it.

When the event ended, I watched one of the men on our team, someone who had worked hard but no more so than anyone else, give interviews with several reporters. The young woman who had led the day’s efforts was across the hall breaking down the exhibits and cleaning up. No one in the media asked to speak with her because they didn’t know she existed.  

Although the event was a success, and I made new friends and am proud of our team’s accomplishments, I have decided I will never volunteer like that again.  Like so many women I know, I am not motivated by getting the credit. I am a little bit shy about speaking in public and standing in the spotlight. I get satisfaction from doing my best and I happen to be very good at getting things done. However, I have finally figured out at forty-something that only working behind the scenes is not enough. In doing so, I am doing a disservice to other women.

You see, while I talk about the importance of women leaders in politics, community-building and business, I have been hiding, along with so many other capable women. Ladies, we need to put a face on women’s leadership. We need to get out in front so that other women will be more likely to get involved; so that young girls have role models; so that men looking for committee chairs, candidates, and board members, will know we are capable and available.

So the next time my committee takes on a project, I will still work hard behind the scenes but I will also get over my self-consciousness and volunteer to speak at the event. I will still arrive early to set up and stay late to clean up, but I will also stop running around long enough to speak to the distinguished guests, give the media a quote and enjoy the moment. If someone asks me my role in the event, I will not deflect attention but will instead take my due credit. I’ll try not to worry that others may think I am power hungry.

Ladies, we know it takes both the visionaries and worker bees to make the world run. We’ve read the reports and seen the evidence that diversity is good for business, for community, and for politics. So what are we waiting for? If we don’t step out in front how can we expect our neighbors, our mothers and our daughters to do it?

Are you with me?

Lap Dancers at Work

October 23, 2009
By

bizwomanI have another video share today. But before you watch it, place a pillow on the ground. That way, when your jaw hits the floor, it won’t hurt.

Ladies, what year is it? I thought it was 2009: the year women surpassed men on the national payroll, the 21st century, an era when having lap dancers at work was not okay.

I must be wrong. At a recent company event, Yahoo offered lap dancers as entertainment. The gathering was Open Hack Day in Taiwan, an event were developers get together to foster creativity. While most of the images and videos from the event have been removed from the web, Adam Lindsay at www.alt.posterous.com still has footage. (Link shared via a Creative Commons license.) The event was made up of “mainly” male developers. Can you imagine what it was like for the women in attendance?

Granted, Yahoo has offered an apology (not a quasi-Pepsi-type-apology-either) which you can read here. But I, for one, am sick of bad behavior followed by the obligatory sorry statement. Let’s just lose the bad behavior to begin with.

Back in my corporate days, the men were careful enough to pull this crap off site. There was my charming coworker at one company who would take his lunch break across the street at a “gentleman’s club” everyday. His regular order: a cheeseburger and a lap dance. I always tried to schedule our meetings in the morning. I was too creeped out to spend my afternoons with him.

And then there were my guys at the next job. After our management team dinners (I was the only woman on the team) they would bid me goodnight and head over to the strip club. Annoying? Slightly. Just how much can a woman bond with the team when the bonding involved dollar bills and seedy night clubs? Infuriating? Yes, when they EXPENSED their night out.

Update: and speaking of Pepsi. They pulled the Amp app.

Elinor Ostrom Wins Nobel Prize in Economics

October 12, 2009
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nobelprizeElinor Ostrom is the first woman ever to receive the Nobel Prize in Economics, more accurately known as The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences. The prize has been awarded 40 times to 60 Laureates since 1969. Ostrom won the award, along with Oliver Williamson, for work in economic governance.

 This is significant for several reasons:

*Firsts are progress. Every time a woman is a “first” (except for cookie baking First Ladies — been there, done that) it opens a door for more women. It gives girls an image of what they might achieve someday. It’s incredulous really, that we expect little girls to grow up believing they can be anything when we bombard them with images of men in those roles and describe so many occupations with  gender-specific language (alderman, councilman, chairman, selectman, etc.) Firsts start to change the perception of women.

*She is not alone. Ostrom is joined this year by four other women Laureates. Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and Dr. Carol Greider won the prize for physiology or medicine. Professor Ada Yonath was awarded the prize in chemistry. And Herta Muller won the Nobel Prize in Literature. For five women to win the award in the same year is a major milestone. Nobel Prizes have only been awarded to women 41 times between 1901 and 2009.

*When you consider the fields in which Nobel prizes are awarded, and when you take into account who does the nominating, you realize just how hard it is for women’s achievements to be recognized.  Economics, physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature and even peace, are still mostly male-dominated fields. And it is professors, scientists and previous prize winners who nominate candidates. Again, this is a male-dominated base. You can read more on this topic here.

*Ostrom and Williamson were recognized for work they’ve done in economic governance. According to Nobelprize.org, they have challenged conventional wisdom in this area. One only needs to look to Wall Street and the current economic crisis to appreciate just how critical it is that we revisit our approach. Perhaps recognizing Ostrom will help underscore the need for gender equity in corporate leadership. Read more on why and how here.

This. Is. Good. News.

Why Bomb the Moon?

October 9, 2009
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moonI felt like Cindy Lou Who from “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” when she says, “Santie Claus, why? Why are you taking our Christmas tree? Why?” Because this morning I wanted to know, “NASA, why? Why are you bombing our moon? Why”

Why bomb the moon? The moon is a symbol of love, of mystery, of inspiration. It has been a muse to Dickinson, Yeats, Plath, Thoreau, Rumi, and countless others.

Why bomb the moon? So we have an excuse not to save our own planet? No more tiresome recycling and carbon reductions? If there is water on the moon we can go live there?

Why bomb the moon? So we can destroy another planet?

Why bomb the moon? Do we own it? Oh right, we put our flag there. And to bomb it on the same day President Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize is just surreal.

Why bomb the moon? Doesn’t it control the tides? Do we really want to mess with that?

Why bomb the moon? Because boys like to blow things up? I didn’t see any women clapping and high fiving inside the Ames Center this morning. That’s because only 31 percent of NASA personnel at a GS-12 (research positions) or higher are women. Perhaps if there was gender equity in space exploration and aeronautics research someone would have nixed this mission.

Why bomb the moon? Many believe it controls our menstrual cycles. And why, why, why would you want to mess with that?

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