Thursday, 25 November 2021

Gender pay gap: Why is mentioning remuneration taboo in job ads?

NOTE: I wrote this years ago. maybe 2019, but accidentally wiped out the date when I just published it 

I created this meme for Linkedin. I thought people joined Linkedin because they meant business, so  was amazed that mentioning payment seems to be taboo. How did we become so coy?

From The Guardian: Employer secrecy is fuelling gender pay gap



https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/11/employer-secrecy-around-staff-pay-is-fuelling-gender-pay-gap-says-expert

How did we become persuaded that it was indelicate to mention money in job interviews? Who benefits from such delicacy? Not work-seekers, that's for sure. If the would-be recruiter doesn't make the offer transparent, the seeker is immediately wrong-footed as if "greedy" if they raise this fundamental question. 

This is especially so if we happen to be in a "caring" or "social justice" profession, mostly women, no? 

It is then assumed that we are happy to give away our intellectual property for the sake of saving everyone else -  except ourselves . Workers in the sector are already struggling and have the same bills to pay as our employers. That is why I aim to raise the issue in all future requests for my services, and I hope everyone who reads this will agree that it is a social justice issue to be similarly upfront. 

See also "Payment secrecy fuels the Gender" https://lnkd.in/gaJhUAS