In the Lead
Get to Know the Paycheck Fairness Act
To close the pay gap, we need good public policies at the state, local and federal levels. Encouraging women to negotiate a higher salary doesn’t do much if there are institutional and structural barriers that prevent her from earning her value in the labor market. These barriers include entrenched and institutionalized gender norms and expectations, pay secrecy, policies that allow employers to request salary history, and placing undue burdens on women to prove pay discrimination and limiting the remedies available [...]
Get Your Money: How to Negotiate Your Salary
How to Negotiate Your Salary Do Your Research. Talk to people in your field and go online to search up the going salary for your position. Toot your own Horn. Come to the discussion prepared to talk about your accomplishments, contributions to the company or the unique skills and talents you bring to the table. Create a brag sheet—a one-page summary of your recent wins. Play it Smart. In salary negotiations, have a number in mind, but allow the employer [...]
Out in the Open: Stopping Work Retaliation Against Salary Sharing
You understand the importance of salary transparency. You know that you can better advocate for yourself when you know what your coworkers are earning. But what do you do if your employer has policies discouraging or preventing you from sharing salary information? And worse, what do you do if your employer threatens or punishes you for talking about your salary? Retaliation is a form of employment discrimination or harassment. It can take many forms including but not limited to discipline, demotion, firing, [...]
Spilling the Tea: Why Salary Transparency is Necessary for Pay Equity
Knowledge is power—especially when it comes to your paycheck. When employers are open about their payscales and criteria for evaluating raises and promotions, employees can make informed decisions about whether they are being paid fairly and whether it is appropriate to negotiate for a higher salary or promotion. This is important for all women, who earn less than men in all but five occupations, but especially important for women of color, for whom the gender wage gap is magnified by a [...]
Quantifying the Impact of the Global Gag Rule: What 2020 Candidates Should Know
By Anna Bernstein Abortion has not been a top issue raised in Democratic debates so far, despite the growing number of threats to access across the country. But with strong support of abortion rights among the long list of candidates, the 2020 election provides an opportunity to eliminate federal funding restrictions on abortion. Notably, these restrictions go beyond funding within the United States, with the Global Gag Rule playing a key role in U.S. aid abroad. U.S. taxpayer dollars have [...]
Reproductive Health and Community College Students: Building Momentum toward Holistic Approaches to Student Success
by Tessa Holtzman, Anna Bernstein, and Lindsey Reichlin Cruse On July 8-9, 2019 in Washington, DC, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) hosted a convening on expanding reproductive health access for community college students. The convening brought together reproductive health and higher education experts, program leaders, community college representatives, and students to share their strategies and consider new opportunities to improve reproductive health access for the community college population. With over 40 people in attendance, the convening offered a [...]