What is equal pay and can it exist?
I do not think so. But is it something bad? And what is equality at all?
First of all, I do not think we are the same. I do not believe that men and women are equal. I also do not believe that one or the other is better or worse. I believe we are different. And I love that! I love that my man is not like me.
We differ in our body build, muscle mass, in thinking patterns. Men by nature are more interested in things and women in people. And according to science, diversity, and inclusion at work are achieved not by hiring 50% women and 50% men, but by hiring according to personality traits. So I am a manager now and I will never hire someone just because she is she and he is he. I will hire the best person for the job, no matter if my team is 100% men or 100% women, the best person wins, and the person with the personality traits that I need for that position. Sometimes I need someone who is very disagreeable. Sometimes I need someone who is caring. Sometimes I need someone who is creative and sometimes someone who is detail-oriented.
There is a huge topic and discussion about equal pay. But what is equal pay? We cannot just say that women have to get the same pay as men or men as women.
I think we should get paid for the value we deliver. Not necessarily I should get more as an engineer woman than a man engineer because maybe that particular man is much more clever and doing a much better job than I do.
And maybe I should get paid more than my other female colleague doing exactly the same job because maybe I deliver two times more projects. I do not take days off because my kids are sick, or I do not leave work earlier, because I do not need to pick up kids from childcare. I work full time and I work faster and better than 80% of other females. So do I need to get paid the same for the same job? No. Also maybe I was better at negotiating my salary and presenting myself. Or maybe I get less money, but I wanted more freedom? Maybe I agreed to work for less if I can get more days from home, or more days to travel. Today it is not just about the money, but for me, it is also about my freedom.
So I do not believe we will ever reach equality, because someone will always feel not treated right. I do not feel it is right that I work full time because I do not have kids, and people with kids can come and go earlier and nobody expects them to work more.
I do not feel it is right that I have my life together and do not get depressed or sick and always deliver on time, while someone can not feel like going to work for a year and after that expect the same pay.
Females do feel not treated right because their male colleagues earn more, but they do not know that he does double for work that she does or has an MA in a certain field and more years of experience. Title on paper for your role does not mean you should get the same pay. The same goes for me.
There are so many variables at work, that to get the same for the same role would be inequality for me. I have 50 employees to take care of, and 5 projects, my colleague with the same title, in the same job band has 5 employees and 1 project. Does he/she have to get paid the same? I do not think so. But do I care? No! What I care about is that I get paid fair for the job I do.
We should aim for fair pay, not equality, because what is equality?
I do not look at my colleagues, or how much they get. I look at myself. Am I paid fairly? Yes. Fine. No? Move on and find another job, another career, another line of work, and start your own business. The world is full of opportunities, do not be in a place where you feel not fairly treated.
And boy I brought it to myself for telling my opinion loud. I just imagine the comments I will get. But that is okay. I welcome all opinions.
Plus, I enjoy my job, my pay, and my freedom. I enjoy the company of my colleagues. No matter how much they get paid.
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