Yeah, I do mind that I’m paid less because of my gender, thank you. So let’s, like… stop that from happening…
(Written by our awesome digital organizer, Lauren!)
Girl, the wage gap is real. Women still earn less than men for the same work, and Women of Color as well as trans women earn even less than cis white women. This sucks, but we can do something about it!
? Here’s my hack to fixing this! ?:
1) Know Your Worth
Before accepting ANY position, know how much work in your field is worth. Websites like Glassdoor.com can help give you specifics about the salaries in your company.
I personally have also had informational interviews with other women or mentors who have always been very open with me about what I should expect to be offered.
Equip yourself with the facts!
2) ALWAYS Negotiate!
It’s uncomfortable, I know. But make a [pinkie] promise to yourself here and now.
I, __________, promise to ALWAYS negotiate when offered a job.
But what if you love the salary or it’s more than you expected?
Cool! Say thank you, and ask for more! It’s going to feel weird to confidently ask for more, but then you’ll hang up the phone and you’ll feel like a badass. DO NOT feel bad or walk back your counteroffer. Say what you want, and then wait for them to respond. Then, the next time you negotiate, it’ll feel less weird. And so on.
If money isn’t negotiable, benefits could be. Ask for more vacation, a higher match, the ability to work from home a certain % of the time, longer parental leave (which why the EFF don’t we get this anyway! Another topic for another day)
Not-so-fun story. I’ve made this promise to myself, because one company I worked at offered everyone the same starting salary, but some of us negotiated and some of us (hint: me) didn’t. I could have gotten an extra few Gs per year just by asking. Instead, that money went to someone else.
Think about it, you just paid for your annoying boss’s boss to go to the Maldives. ?
DON’T!
3) What if They Rescind your Offer?
Girl, I have never in my dozens of jobs heard of this happening. The worst that will likely happen is they’ll say the offer is the best they can do. Something about their revenue of the economy, blah blah.
If this happens, see Step 2 again and ask for something fun like an extra week of vacay, ability to bring your dog to work, etc.
4) Been at Your Job for a While? ASK FOR MORE!
When in doubt, ask for more. I once worked in the same role for a few years, but the scope of my role kept growing and I inherited the responsibilities of my coworker who just never came back to work one day. Nobody offered me a raise.
Hey! You’re welcome, company. I’m saving you an entire salary with benefits by being a badass.
Pay me more.
This was the first time I asked for a raise. I “Glassdoored” the next grade up in my company, requested a meeting with my boss, and nervously asked for a promotion.
He sat back, said “Huh. You’re right. Let me talk to HR.”
I walked out of that office feeling like Peggy Olsen.
What if I never asked?!
5) When in Doubt, see step 1!
PSH, I have no idea what it must feel like to be a confident dude. To be born into knowing that the world owes you more. But I DO know what it feels like to be a confident woman! ?? And it feels great.
6) Finally, Share the knowledge
Along with the aforementioned pledge I made you all take, I will also ask you to share your knowledge with other women and non-binary friends so we can close that gap together. I’ve shared my salary with other coworkers, I’ve recommended other coworkers for promotions, and I’ve run for Congress and pushed for pay transparency 🙂
Let’s close the gap together, ladies!
