Ways Leaders Can Address Wage Gaps in the Workplace

The workplace of an organization in many ways reflects the world around us. Issues in the world, can also be issues at work, including social justice issues. In this article we will look at a social justice issue of wage gaps in a workplace, its importance, a model for change and strategies I would implement in the workplace.?

What is Social Justice?

Wage Gaps In The Workplace

In an organization social injustice refers to the unjust treatment of individuals or groups based on various social factors such as race, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or socioeconomic status (Okechukwu et al., 2013). Social injustice incorporates a wide range of discriminatory practices and unequal opportunities that occur within the workplace, including wage gaps. A wage gap becomes a social justice issue when that wage gap is a form of discrimination. Wage gaps in the workplace not only create social justice issues, but they also perpetuate stereotypes and decrease morale.?One significant issue related to social justice in the workplace is the wage gap divide. The wage gap typically refers to the difference in earnings between different groups of workers, particularly between men and women, which is how it has continued a manifestation of gender inequality that is still present in our workplaces today (Bleiweis, 2020).

The Wage Gap Is Real and It Doesn't Age Out With Education

The Injustice of The Wage Gap Should Matter to Everyone

When a wage gap is present in the workplace, there is a divide between the groups whether they know it or not. When women are being paid less then men, they may also be working in entirely different jobs. Should women then apply for “male,” jobs there may be obstacles in place keeping the women from promotions and access to those higher-paying jobs (Gould et al., 2016).

For women, the wage gap often means making less than men, which should be important to everyone. This is important because women are often traditionally put in certain roles in a workplace, roles that tend to be undervalued and under-paid, keeping them from being able to advance in their careers. Chances are you know a woman, raising a future woman or maybe are a woman, and would like to see a future that isn't limited by your gender. These are also gender roles forced into occupations that when a woman leaves, may take several people to fill the vacancy. Women are often coaxed into taking on more and more responsibilities without added pay or promotions, unlike their male counterparts.

A fair wage for all would reduce stereotyping for certain roles, decrease divide and increase moral in the workplace for all employees.?A fair wage would ensure that women are not being overworked or overlooked in the workplace, and a fair wage should mean that all people of any gender have equal opportunities for success and advancement. As humans, fair wages should be important to us all so that we can provide for ourselves, our families and our future.

Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model for Workplace Wage Gaps

In a workplace that has a wage gap, there are many processes designed to help their leaders implement change, of those is Kotter's 8 Step Change Management Model. This model focuses on urgency which is needed with social justice issues and walks the leadership through the process of the eight-steps to charge and success. Here’s an example of how the Kotter Method can create a more equitable workplace.

1. Establish a Sense of Urgency: Where there is injustice, there is an urgent matter. There should be a sense of urgency with leaders and stakeholders which involves raising awareness, the impacts, of the issue and the damages it has caused thus far.

2. Create a Guiding Coalition: This group will be committed to “the wage gap.” There should be representation on the coalition from all levels of the organization.

3. Develop a Vision and Strategy: The workplace should have a clear vision with an outline that shows how, when, and why they are committed to closing the wage gap. The dates in mind for their goals and how they plan to report this out.

4. Communicate the Vision: Effective communication is key when implementing change, especially during a social justice issues. The organization should have a plan in place on how they will communicate and receive communication for addressing the wage gape to all employees and community members.

5. Empower Broad-Based Action: All employees, on any level, should feel safe and empowered to help out where they can, participate in trainings, resources and welcoming an inclusive culture that is willing to grow from where they are.

6. Generate Short-Term Wins: Celebrating and recognizing short-term wins can help build momentum and motivate employees early in the change process. As the organization identifies and starts closing the wage gap, each mini milestone is a chance to celebrate and recognize the wins as an organization. This can help to erase the divide the gap can create.

7. Consolidate Gains and Produce More Change: One the gap has been filled, there are always more places for progress and achievement. Organizations should always be building on their success and working towards their driving change, but especially as they are trying to negate social justice in the workplace. As for the wage gap, this may mean creating policies and practices to ensure that equitable pay remains. ?

8. Anchor New Approaches in the Culture: Accountability and sustainability are about ensuring long-term success. This means alighting with policies, practices, and behaviors with the goal of achieving pay equity, a??s well as continuously monitoring progress and making necessary adjustments

As a Leader

As a leader something I would add outside of the 8 steps would be education and supports on a continuous bases. Education can come in the form of workshops, videos, trainings, and welcoming feedback from staff on how they best like to learn. It's important to welcome communication but especially in a a workplaces that is healing from a divide. Employees may be reluctant to share in the beginning, and as a workplace welcomes new employees, it's important that everyone is continuing to learn and grow together on all social justice issues. Knowing and learning about fair wages together can help grow the teams as they go through the changes ahead.

For my education and awareness about the social injustice in the workplace, I would start with a survey to see where the mentality of the organization is, the concerns, etc. Then using that information offer educational workshops that also talk about different forms of discrimination, unconscious biases, and the importance of creating an inclusive work environment in hopes of stirring a change in someone of our workforce. The empathy of welcoming their voice and offering ample resources will help to build trust and contribute to making a more equitable workplace.

Welcoming employees to be part of the growing success of a healthier workplace will help them to take ownership and feel valued. Ideally, these educational workshops, conversations and opportunities will just be the beginning of what grows into a more equitable organization. Together we can create a more diverse and inclusive program that welcomes the input, feedback and enthusiasm from as many employees as possible.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, social injustice in the workplace comprises the integrity of the workplace and encompasses forms of discrimination, harassment, and systemic inequalities to name a few.?Through addressing these issues and implementing the comprehensive 8 step plan, there are many ways to create a healthier workplace for all. In addition, one of the greatest anecdotes of social injustice is to offer education and awareness trainings to educate employees and grow the culture of the organization.?

References

Bleiweis, R. (2020, March 24).?Quick Facts About the Gender Wage Gap. Center for American Progress; Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/quick-facts-gender-wage-gap/

Chun-Hoon, W. (2023, March 14).?5 Fast Facts: The Gender Wage Gap. Figure 1. DOL Blog. https://blog.dol.gov/2023/03/14/5-fast-facts-the-gender-wage-gap

Gould, E., Schieder, J., & Geier, K. (2016, October 20).?What is the gender pay gap and is it real?: The complete guide to how women are paid less than men and why it can’t be explained away. Economic Policy Institute; Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org/publication/what-is-the-gender-pay-gap-and-is-it-real/

Mollenkamp, D. T. (2022, July 8).?Social Justice. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social-justice.asp

Okechukwu, C. A., Souza, K., Davis, K. D., & de Castro, A. B. (2013). Discrimination, harassment, abuse, and bullying in the workplace: Contribution of workplace injustice to occupational health disparities.?American Journal of Industrial Medicine,?57(5), 573–586. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22221