Dear Satya Nadella. This is why 'karma' isn't going to fix the pay gap.

Want a raise? Don’t ask for it. Don’t lean in. Just lean back and wait for the good karma to wash over you. That’s the advice the Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has shared Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing at the Anita Borg Institute yesterday.

"It's not really about asking for the raise but knowing and having faith that the system will actually give you the right raises as you go along."

(At this point it might be worth highlighting that this is sadly not a parody.)

Have faith. Seriously? Faith that in a world in which we know women are paid less than men; in a world in which women remain blocked by glass ceilings from leadership positions in politics and in business; a world in which men and fathers lead countries and companies while women and mothers struggle to “have it all” (aka "doing it all" because the men in their lives are invariably leading countries and companies unencumbered by details like UNPAID caring responsibilities and UNPAID housework); we are expected to have faith that the “right raises” will just come along?

Upon what logical basis could we possibly found that faith? Nadella recommends we turn to the powers of Karma.

“That might be one of the initial ‘super powers’ that, quite frankly, women [who] don’t ask for a raise have,” he added. “It’s good karma. It will come back.”

I remain unconvinced.

The idea that if women are “good” and don’t ask for anything they will be rewarded is mighty problematic and sadly revealing. Had Nadella said “men and women” who don’t ask for a raise will be rewarded, his sentiments might have been more palatable. Unfortunately, however, he didn’t and the result reveals an implicit and insidious gender assumption which quite neatly perpetuates pesky facts like the pay gap in the first place.

When the global leader of one of the largest companies in the world confirms the narrative that women who don’t ask for raises are “good”, it’s a disappointing day for anyone even remotely optimistic about female leadership.

Perpetuating the idea that women who do speak up – whether it’s to ask for a raise, report harassment or to dare to change the system – aren’t “good” and won‘t be rewarded is abysmal.

Considering the group of women Nadella was addressing work in the tech sector, which performs notoriously badly in the realm of gender equity, compounds it.

In the wake of widespread criticism, Nadella has clarified his stance on twitter but the damage is done. "Was inarticulate re how women should ask for raise. Our industry must close gender pay gap so a raise is not needed because of a bias #GHC14"

I, for one, am agnostic when it comes to having faith that the current system will reward women equitably. What about you?