Ways To Reduce Gender Discrimination In New Jersey Workplace
Although workplace discrimination on the basis of gender is illegal, the reality is that it is still happening in many ways – some subtle and some not so subtle. This can be in the form of denying women opportunities to advance or penalizing working mothers for needing a remote working arrangement.
Some employees may feel that it is hard to justify their case in such scenarios as it is not as clear cut as comparing two paychecks for equal workloads. Whether you are in a managerial position or an employee looking for some ways to reduce gender discrimination in the workplace, we have some suggestions for you.
Be Transparent About Paychecks
The gender pay gap has only been allowed to exist for so long in part due to the secrecy surrounding employee compensation. Many companies include a clause in employment contracts that employees are to keep confidential their monthly pay. Introducing a culture of transparency – where every applicant is aware of the compensation they can expect to receive before being made an offer – can help to prevent two employees doing the same level and amount of work from getting different pay. Furthermore, determining an employee’s pay based on their last drawn salary can perpetuate the cycle if their previous company already had discriminatory practices.
Provide Childcare Support and Flexible Work Arrangements
One of the most common hurdles that women face in career advancement is the need to take time off for childcare and/or eldercare. Women are getting penalized both in terms of pay raises and promotions for taking time off work to tend to family, and this gap can only widen if companies do not take action. Two possible solutions are providing childcare and/or eldercare benefits in employment contracts as well as allowing paternal leave for fathers. This ensures that childcare responsibilities are more equally balanced as well as in line with fathers’ wishes to spend more time with their children. Additionally, a remote working arrangement should be accommodated as and when it’s feasible.
Equal Mentoring Opportunities
Even if a man and woman entered a company with the same starting pay, the lack of access to equal mentoring opportunities can advance one career while holding the other back. Ever since the advent of the #MeToo movement, more than 50% of men in senior managerial positions have expressed concern about mentoring a woman employee. That is why it is so important to ensure that every employee has access to a mentor and that matches cannot be strictly same-sex: the lower number of women in senior managerial positions have meant that these women are already stretched thin by their existing responsibilities.
Turn to Carcich O’Shea For Representation
If you have been the victim of gender discrimination in the workplace, there is no question about it: your rights have been infringed upon. Maybe you have tried to report it but no one has taken you seriously. At Carcich O’Shea, LLC, we listen. We think you deserve to be heard. We are well-versed in the latest employment laws and will see to it that your rights are fairly represented.
Contact us today if you would like to discuss what can be done to ensure you are not losing out as a result of gender discrimination in the workplace.