Introduction
The gender gap is a women's issue. Although women make up almost half of the workforce across the world, they have continuously earned less than men. There is still vast gender discrimination in terms of pay, hiring, and promotions. Women have gone the extra mile in getting into previously male-dominated careers, but their salaries and wages are far below what their male counterparts make. Despite the tremendous efforts, some occupations like construction still show rigidity, especially in the recruitment and payment of women.
Closing the Gap
The trend can, however, be rectified by some measures. First, companies can cease to inquire about previous salaries in interviews. The main reason for this is that some people, for instance, ethnic minorities, earn less than whites. Consequently, asking about previous salaries will only widen that gap because paying them slightly above that amount will still be lower than the standard payment. Second, companies should adopt Iceland law, where they have to acquire a certificate of equal pay or be fined (Olafsdottir, 2018). In doing so, the firms will have no choice but give equal wages to all employees regardless of their gender.
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Legal Provisions
In the past, legal provisions have been unsuccessful in closing the salaries and wages gap because they did not focus on transparency. However, companies are now gearing towards internal audits and publishing information regarding their gender pay differences. Moreover, the law affirms that the only acceptable considerations for salary ranges are work-related factors such as experience, educational background, and job performance (Nichols, 2018). Such legal provisions, coupled with the companies' code of ethics, are set to steer the business world into equality.
Recruitment planning
To avoid gender bias and discrimination, human resource managers should develop a compensation plan based on performances. The process should encompass a regular assessment of employees, mentorship, and performance appraisals to ensure that they are meeting all the corporate objectives Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart & Wright, 2017). Additionally, the payment plans should not only abide by the law but also include benefits packages such as retirement and health. During recruitment planning, HR managers should develop salary ranges to ensure that the amount they plan to offer is competitive enough with other organizations while still within the allocated budgets.
Conclusion
The gender gap in compensation is still a rampant problem in the business world today, which mostly affects women. Despite numerous efforts like furthering their education, women still earn lower than men in terms of wages and salaries. Companies have since started addressing by being transparent in their salaries. Although there is still a long way to go, such transparency will help in trying to rectify the situation.
References
Nichols, T. J. (2018). Closing the Wage Gap: Cities' and States' Prohibitions Against Prior Salary History Inquiries and The Implications Moving Forward. Seton Hall L. Rev. , 49 , 411.
Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2017). Human Resource Management: Gaining A Competitive Advantage . New York, NY: Mcgraw-Hill Education.
Olafsdottir, K. (2018). Iceland Is the Best, But Still Not Equal. Sökelys På Arbeidslivet , 35 (01- 02), 111-126.
