Many hard-working women around the country have their fingers crossed as the senate decides whether they should pass some new legislation that would make it easier for women to sue companies if they are paid lower wages than their male counterparts. The “Paycheck Fairness Act” was introduced by the House of Representatives in January of 2009 and has since been stalled.
A recent article from Reuters discusses the legislation and what it would do for women if the senate passed in through. The “Paycheck Fairness Act” is described as an update to the earlier Equal Pay Act of 1963. If passed, the new legislation would declare gender discrimination to be just as bad as racial discrimination in the workplace. Companies who pay male employees more than women will face larger penalties. The new legislation would also make it easier for you to find out whether you are being paid less than your male coworkers.
But not everyone thinks the Paycheck Fairness Act is very fair. The legislation has been stalled in the senate because business groups and some Republican senators believe the act would be too intrusive by the government on the private sector. President Barack Obama, who is now trying to get the legislation passed through the senate, believes the Paycheck Fairness Act is essential for women workers and families. Pres. Obama says, “This is not just a question of fairness for hard-working women, paycheck discrimination hurts families who lose out on badly needed income. And with so many families depending on women’s wages, it hurts the American economy as a whole.”
What do you think of the “Paycheck Fairness Act”?
Do you think the Senate should pass this piece of legislation?
As a teacher, I am given a raise for each year of employment and for each graduate course I complete. I think that THIS is a fair way for a "company" to operate. It is all up to ME how much I want to make, and never an issue of fairness. Work longer, make more. Further you education, make more. Makes sense to me.
I completely agree with this act. I think it should be easier (or possible) to find out how much someone makes that does the same job you do. If you are making less, for no apparent reason, male or female, then it should be up to the company to correct that.
laceyrai::
on Jul 22, 2010
There is no difference in Men and Women on a brain level when it comes to getting a job completed. they are just as different as two women or two men vary doing the same work. Women should be respected and paid what their work is worth as well as men. I wish that society would get over silly notions of sex and/or race being determinates of salary, benefits, and jobs. It should always be the right pay for the job done and the best person hired without all of this legislation. It is simply common sense, and I think that if the world was a bit more humble; humanity might see that we are still animals and there is nothing that extra special about any particular human above another. We are just all unique and different without groups and classifications. Common sense: They will want to hold us back but we can rise up and take what is ours. Work so hard that they cannot deny you are necessary for their business
cweinowitz::
on Jul 22, 2010
I think its about time....Im a single mother and found it very hard raising my children on my income. Even when I went to school to better myself I still found it hard to make more money...
MadHatter::
on Jul 23, 2010
i wish that this could happen, but my manager told me that we aren't allowed to share salary information with your co workers or you will be fired. i bet she is lying because she doesn't want to adjust my salary. and here i bust myself working hard and trying to prove to her that I can do this job given to me. yet the guy slacks off and gets paid more then me. we were hired only 2 months apart from each other. i hate my manager (who lies a lot and gives broken promises) they told me that they were going to give me a promotion. yeah....5 months later...nothing. time to look for a new job!
tiff78::
on Jul 23, 2010
if a woman can do the same job as a man then the pay needs to be the same no double standers this is not the 1920's
alleykatt74::
on Jul 24, 2010
I bust my butt at work and find that the men who work four hours a day reap the 10% of everyone elses commission & sales makes more than the owner of the company does. Insane!
valentta::
on Jul 25, 2010
I definitely think that it is about time this issue has been raised. The bill should in fact pass immediately. It is long overdue, and it is a shame that women get paid less...still..to this day. We have all earned our right and we are just as competant and talented as men are. Yes, this needs to get passed.
pjgriff::
on Jul 26, 2010
The government needs to keep their nose out of the private sector's business!! Enough said.
Jen0414::
on Jul 29, 2010
I've just heard small blurbs in the media so I can't give a knowledgeable answer about what kind of change I expect it will make. I agree with Luvcrackerjack comment. You should be paid for your work & your ability - not your for any other reason.
My fear, is what I've seen happen as a result of the EPA of 1963. Companies fear being sued by women who say they aren't paid fairly so they lower standards for women. My former company has very labor intensive jobs that pay more because you do more physical labor. Men & women must pass a physical test to get these jobs yet women are given more leeway in passing them. The men must pick up the slack for women who can't keep up physically - but they get equal pay. I's the same with hiring certain gender or race to meet a set standard by law but pass up much more qualified people for the same reason.
I think this just lowers standards across the board. We need to protect our son's futures & well as our daughters.
silverfox2010::
on Aug 07, 2010
It's about time for this legislation. Too many women have worked too hard for too long for too little! The last corporation I worked in put the Accounting printer out in the hallway during remodeling but connected it to the general network so all print jobs went to that printer. It sure didn't take long for the salary info to spread like wildfire. Even guys new to the word processing department were getting paid a lot more than women in the same department who had been working there for years. Talk about outrage! What happened? There was a big meeting and employees were told that if they didn't like it, they could take a hike to the unemployment office. Many did. Morale sank like a lead balloon, and I hear from friends still there that everyone is very unhappy and mistrustful of one another and the management. Productivity has dropped. So, equal pay for the same work just makes good business sense because you never know when the truth will come out.
