September 21, 2022

Three things companies can do on Black Women's Equal Pay Day & Every Day

Why is this stubborn problem persistent, or better yet, who will take the lead to close the Black Women's Pay Gap?

For nearly a decade, through awareness on equal pay day conversations, I've observed those discussions primarily center on what individuals can do to close the gap. Yet, year after year, companies are on the sidelines in developing solutions to the wage gap. In 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, there were loud statements in support of Black workers, yet two years later, there is a more significant opportunity to show vs. tell.

In a few weeks, there will be a day of awareness for Black Women's Equal Pay Day?this year; it falls on September 21, 2022.

• In 2021 it was on August 3
• In 2020 it was on August 19
• In 2019 it was on August 22

It's time to solve the Black Women's Pay Gap. We need radical aligned action to #EndTheGap

I learned early in my work that the wage gap is complex, and the factors that contribute to the gap are systematic. With the complexity in mind, it's not an easy problem to solve but necessary that we shift the awareness of this day to a day of solutions and actions.

Start with the A.B.C.s

The A.B.C.s of closing the Black Women's Pay Gap

1. Address the gap?
2. Be the solution?
3. Cut the check?

Black women working full-time, year-round typically make 63 cents for every dollar white non-Hispanic men make. The wage gap for Black women varies widely by state, with my home state of Louisiana earning around 49 cents on the dollar. The facts are heartbreaking yet can be solved. The National Women's Law Center https://nwlc.org/resource/wage-gap-state-black-women/ has a full breakdown of earnings and gaps, which is jaw-dropping.?(Warning, it's not pretty)

Typically on #EqualPay Days (yep, there are multiple days a year), there are discussions surrounding women taking the agency to negotiate for higher compensation. These days of awareness created much buzz that is often short-lived until the next Equal Pay day; by the way here's the calendar https://www.aauw.org/resources/article/equal-pay-day-calendar/ keep track of it. The AAUW compiles the annual calendar linked to additional resources and advocacy action steps.

My work has centered mainly on women negotiating with greater confidence using the L.A.T.T.E. Negotiation Framework as a tool to build negotiation strategy. I firmly believe that individuals will always be their best advocate in conversations surrounding compensation. Black women who experience the severe impact of the pay gap cannot carry the burden of solving a problem they did not create. Through nearly a decade of work, I have found that tackling complex issues goes to basics, thus the A.B.C.s of what companies can do on Black Women's Equal Pay Day and EVERY DAY!

ADDRESS THE GAP

Address the gap within your organization by auditing total compensation by gender and race. The facts are the facts. If there is a gap create a plan for parity. But, how much will this cost? Well, it comes down to dollars and cents yet only the data will tell that story for your organization. When Marc Benioff and the leadership of Salesforce began to tackle the #wagegap , the question worried the leadership team. The team at Salesforce, familiar with the numerous studies, understood that diverse groups increase profitability. The correlation between diversity in leadership and compensation seemed to be a no-brainer. Salesforce commissioned an audit and addressed the wage gap by initially investing 3 Million to come to pay parity. A few years later, after several significant acquisitions, that amount increased to over 8 million. Read more in the 2019 Wired article https://www.wired.com/story/how-salesforce-closed-pay-gap-b tween-men-women/

Marc Benioff has written extensively about this process in his 2019 book.

Book Suggestion: Trailblazer: The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change https://amzn.to/3vE2Wbn?

BE THE SOLUTION

Every Equal Pay, I roll my eyes with the less than a 24-hour cycle of awareness. It's time to move beyond performative statements that support gender and racial equity and take radical aligned action of support.

• What does it mean for leadership time to be the solution to closing the Black Women's Pay Gap?
• Does your organization include closing the gap in executive performance metrics?

CUT THE CHECK

That's it, folks. Cut the checks, make it real and let's close the gap.?Take a page out of the Salesforce playbook.

In a few weeks, another #equalpayday Black Women's Equal Pay Day?is September 21, 2022; it shouldn't be acceptable to continue to go backward, especially with the statements of support that Black Employees Matter... Just a reminder

In 2021, Black Women's Equal Pay Day was on August 3

In 2020, Black Women's Equal Pay Day was on August 19

In 2019, Black Women's Equal Pay Day was on August 22

It's time to solve the #BlackWomenPayGap

Additional Reading: Black Women in the Workplace: Impacts of Structural Change in the Economy (Contributions in Women's Studies) https://amzn.to/3vyfzV5?