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Equal Pay for Equal Work — Really?

How exactly would that work?

By Thomas EgelhoffPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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Photo by That's Her Business on Unsplash

Equal pay for equal work. In an election year this is just one more “feel good” topic to add to a political campaign.

Even the White House female staff seems to be unequally compensated for their efforts.

Who could possibly be against equal pay for equal work for women in government?

What cold-hearted, misogynistic, misguided, male chauvinist pig could ever give a “thumbs up” to women making less than men for the same work?

In this case I’m sorry to say I guess that would be me.

77¢ or .05¢ Per Hour Gap?

The TV talking heads claim that women, on average, earn .77¢ less per hour than their male counterparts for doing the same job.

Other studies show that when comparing apples with apples the difference is closer to $.05 per hour.

So, who’s on the right side of this number gap Which is it?

I believe it was in 1903 that A. E. Housman said, “Statistics are like a lamppost to a drunk. More for stability than illumination.”

To answer the right or wrong of this question, I would refer to this quote, "An approximate answer to the right problem is worth a good deal more than an exact answer to an approximate problem." -- John Tukey

What We’re Talking About Is an Approximate Problem

I go to work for an agreed upon compensation.

The person working next to me doing exactly the same job has been there four years.

Should we be paid the same regardless of sex?

Why not — aren’t we doing the exact same work?

There are too many variables in experience, work duties and responsibilities to reduce compensation to one common denominator — a wage.

Should Sue Bird of the Women’s National Basketball Association Seattle Storm, top first round draft pick, a three-time Olympic Gold Mentalist, a four-time All-Star make the same salary as LeBron James of the NBA LA Lakers?

Both are playing the exact same game with exactly the same rules. How on any level is that fair to Sue Bird?

Where is the National Labor Relations Board?

The Fair Labor Standards Act Allows Unequal Pay

The following is from the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

Subminimum Wage Provisions

“The FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) provides for the employment of certain individuals at wage rates below the statutory minimum. Such individuals include student-learners (vocational education students), as well as full-time students in retail or service establishments, agriculture, or institutions of higher education.

Also included are individuals whose earning or productive capacity is impaired by a physical or mental disability, including those related to age or injury, for the work to be performed. Employment at less than the minimum wage is authorized to prevent curtailment of opportunities for employment. Such employment is permitted only under certificates issued by WHD.”

So, a handicapped person can work side by side with an able-bodied person, make less per hour, and the Federal government gives that practice their blessing.

How exactly is that fair?

It’s fair because the handicapped person would not be employed without that provision of the law.

Fair is fair.

Opportunities for Employment

Did you read the telltale sentence in the Fair Labor Standards Act above?

I’ll repeat it here, “Employment at less than the minimum wage is authorized to prevent curtailment of opportunities for employment.”

Even the Federal Government knows that pay is just another form of discrimination.

That some people should not only be allowed to work for lower pay, but they are also happy to work for lower pay.

Should a woman be penalized because she’s willing to trade less pay for more flexible work hours so she can welcome her kids home from school?

Isn’t that her decision?

Jobs American’s Just Won’t Do

What jobs do men do that a woman won’t? Not many but there are some.

There are jobs where physicality, strength, and body size can play a point in the pay scale of the sexes.

As a result, women seem to gravitate toward fulfilling type jobs like nursing, teaching, and public service, etc.

Where men are more money driven to higher paying unfulfilling jobs that are not pleasant to do.

Tarring a roof in 90-degree heat, working at the bottom of a coal mine, fixing power lines in subzero weather are very physically demanding jobs.

Those jobs naturally pay more, or it would be impossible to find anyone to do them.

And yes, men are teachers, nurses, and work in the public service sector too.

But both men and women do it by choice.

If a woman can and is willing to climb a power pole in subzero weather as her male co-worker does, she gets my vote.

In WWII women were called upon to take factory jobs while their military brother and husbands went to war.

A principal character in the movie “Flashdance” was a female welder.

Where you apply is a choice. The compensation of that choice either works for you or it doesn’t.

You might take the job because something if better than nothing while you continue to look for more favorable opportunities.

Some Final Thoughts

Having been a personnel manager in my former life I do know that it’s illegal to pay anyone less because of his or her sex under the 1963 Equal Pay Act.

Anyone doing so would be breaking the law.

There are discrimination laws that can be very costly to those who violate them.

However, it’s perfectly legal to pay employees different compensation based on performance, experience, and ability.

The better you are at your job; the more compensation you should expect.

One of my main jobs as a personnel manager was to reduce employee turnover.

So, there were always compromises to keep good employees.

Those compromises had everything to do with circumstances and nothing to do with the sex of the worker.

I may have two part time workers because one must pick their kids up from school and the other worker will take over his or her shift.

If this law is being broken to the extent the government claims, then I guess we can look for a boatload of male employees across the nation to receive a .77¢ per hour reduction in their paychecks to make things equal.

The White House would be a good test case to see how this might work. I’ll watch with great interest for that to happen.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and you'll subscribe for more stories like this.

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About the Creator

Thomas Egelhoff

Author, Radio Talk Show Host, blogger, YouTuber, Vietnam Vet, half-fast guitar player, average cook, and a really nice guy. I read all my articles; you should too and subscribe. Thanks very much.

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