Share Your Stories and Experiences About Equal Pay

Or UNEQUAL pay, if applicable.

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

On this, International Equal Pay Day, my mind naturally drifts to the man I once worked with who, behind my back, requested a raise even though we were doing the exact same job. I later learned he claimed to be doing more work than I was, but that argument was not only untrue — it was egregiously false.

Our boss (a woman!) approved my colleague’s request for a raise. I never knew about their exchanges until our boss “accidentally” sent me a copy of my colleague’s revised contract.

Immediately, I demanded we all meet and discuss the matter. I remember taking a seat at the big, fancy conference table, trying to look taller than my 5’0” stature would allow.

The room was filled with more people than I expected. In addition to my colleague and our boss, the company’s CEO and head counsel joined us.

My hands shook, not from nerves but from anger, as I explained what I understood to be the truth. My colleague, I explained, had fabricated a story about doing more work than me, and I provided evidence that his request for more money was based on a lie.

I have a frustrating habit of crying when I’m angry, and this day was unfortunately no exception. As my cheeks grew hot and tears rolled down my cheeks, I felt completely ashamed about my emotions.

As I wiped my tears, my colleague calmly apologized to the group for his “misunderstanding,” and with that, the meeting ended.

I left the building in shock.

No resolution, no salary adjustment for me, no consequence for my colleague’s poor behavior, no follow-up email or phone call from the powers that be. The message seemed to be, Thanks for coming by. Now, get back to work.

*************************************************

Several months later, I was still fuming.

By this time, my colleague had grown less and less interested (and committed) to our work, prompting my responsibilities to increase exponentially. I could barely look at my colleague without wanting to spit.

I approached my boss again and requested another meeting. This time, I asked that my colleague not attend.

During that second gathering (in which all the same players were present), I laid out a clear timeline of how my colleague had unfairly advocated for a bump in his compensation, only to (essentially) bail on the project.

In this meeting, I didn’t cry.
And in this meeting, I was finally heard.

Soon thereafter, I was issued a check that brought my compensation up to my colleague’s level.

The fight for equal pay is hardly over.
The fight for equal pay is a worthwhile battle.

Prompt: How have you (or how has someone you know) been impacted by the gender pay gap?

Christine Wolf is the co-author of Politics, Partnerships, & Power: The Lives of Ralph E. and Marguerite Stitt Church (Master Wings Publishing, 2023), a dual biography about Marguerite Stitt Church (one of the first 50 women elected to Congress) and her husband, Ralph. While in office, Marguerite Stitt Church was noted for many things, including encouraging American women to get more involved in politics and supporting the Equal Pay Act.