Workplace Buzz: Today's Headlines

Workplace Buzz on September 5, 2007 7:13 AM

Closing the Wage Gap
A quarter-century ago, U.S. women working full time earned a measly 59 cents for every $1 earned by men. The fact that they now earn 77 cents to the dollar is a peaked cause for celebration. Since 1963, the law has required equal pay for equal work, so what could possibly explain such a glaring disparity in annual median income? Experts disagree, their answers flavored by their ideology. But a big factor is that we still have, in reality, certain "female jobs" and certain "male jobs." San Francisco Chronicle

Bias in the Workplace
Invariably, as a presentation on the challenges facing women in the workplace concludes, someone in the audience begins the question with an anecdote. The anecdote is always a variation of the same theme: A young professional is the recipient of an inappropriate remark or question, or is witness to an effort at humor that is rooted in stereotype against a particular ethnic, racial or other group. Some young women recall awkward — and potentially illegal — questions about their dating life, or marital intentions, and even their plans for what they would do about work if they had children. Boston Herald

Pursuing Women Who’ve Dropped Out of the Workforce
ROBIN GUGICK MAYER had the qualifications, but couldn't find the job she wanted. She had been a corporate bond analyst at Prudential Securities for 10 years, then had worked at a smaller firm for five more. But Mayer had stopped working in January 2005 when her third child was born, and when she wanted back in, the headhunters she spoke to were reluctant : A woman who takes time off is a tough sell. Boston Globe

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