Closing the Gender Wage Gap in Utah: Solutions

A few months ago, researchers on my team (Rebecca Winkel, Dr. Emily S. Darowski, Marin Christensen, and myself) sought to better understand if progress has been made with the gender pay gap in Utah. In the process, we uncovered some of the national data that helps us understand the complexity, and I published that piece of the research in a recent post titled “Understanding the Gender Pay Gap” (see for background and context). I also posted an article specifically focuses on “The Utah Gender Pay Gap.” In this final article in this 3-part series, I will provide some recommendations on closing the gap in Utah. You can access a copy of the full research snapshot with references anytime.

Whether Utah women work by preference or out of necessity, whether part time or full time, wage parity is critical. Governor Cox’s One Utah Roadmap calls on Utah to “improve life outcomes for people with historically and systemically less access to opportunity, including women” and identified narrowing the gender wage gap as an important course of action. To ensure Utah’s vibrant economic future, it is critical to extend the prosperity and opportunity many Utahns enjoy to everyone. This will come, in part, through concerted efforts by many stakeholders—including educators, employers, legislators, religious leaders, and individuals—to close the gender wage gap (see suggestions for each stakeholder group in the 2020 Utah Advisory Committee report).

The reality of the Utah labor force is that most women will be employed for much of their lives. Girls and women in Utah need encouragement to complete postsecondary certificates and degrees. Young women in particular need resources and support to help them navigate family and work options, plan education and career goals accordingly, and be flexible as life unfolds. Cultural norms or attitudes that prevent or deter young women from this decision-making process—that suggest moral implications for women who work outside the home or that put work and family priorities at odds without considering that success can be attainable in both areas—need to be evaluated, discussed openly, and adjusted.

Women of all ages would benefit from a greater awareness of the career options available to them, including occupations and industries that are currently dominated by men and are higher paying. Additionally, women need access to Utah organizations that instruct and support those who wish to relaunch into careers after time spent away from the workforce. It is imperative to deliver these services to women who cannot advance in their careers without training and support, particularly to those experiencing poverty.

Utah’s well-respected business community could provide additional support for female-owned businesses, including equitable access to funding, which can alleviate the gender wage gap.?Forward-thinking companies who wish to thrive in a time of heightened economic and social awareness would do well to find ways to support female talent and develop female leadership within their organizations; they can also remove structural and cultural barriers to retaining that female talent. For example, companies could explore flexible work arrangements and alternative career pathways for those who are highly capable and skilled but may not thrive best in the standard eight-to-five mold. Codifying successful practices such as remote work arrangements, which greatly increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, would allow some women to pursue better paying jobs and fill much needed positions in the workplace while still maintaining favorable work-life balance. It would also benefit employers, particularly during labor short-ages, and parents who are trying to navigate more equitable responsibility at home.

Finally, policy makers should create and strengthen laws that support pay equity as well as strengthen access to and enforcement of existing employment law. Utah’s existing legal protections are considered “weak,” and more must be done to help women who are fighting outright discrimination. In addition, requiring wage transparency, increasing access to affordable childcare, and implementing better family leave would address and narrow the gap.

Conclusion

Actions to remove equal pay barriers will improve the lives of Utah’s women, their families, and the economic wellbeing of all. Again, a copy of the report, “Utah Gender Wage Gap: A 2021 Update,” is available for download with this and additional content around solutions.

?

Dr. Susan R. Madsen is a global thought leader, author, speaker, and scholar on the topic of women and leadership. She is also the Inaugural Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University and the Founding Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project. Thanks to Rebecca Winkel and Dr. Emily S. Darowski for their work on this research!

?