To the Editor:
“A
Toolkit for Women Seeking a Raise” (Your Money column, Business
Day, May 15) rightly points out that women—now the breadwinners in
nearly two-thirds of American families—need to learn the art of
negotiation when seeking a raise.
Unfortunately, the article doesn’t mention an important point: many
employers require employees not to discuss their pay with their
co-workers, and employees fear retaliation for going against those
instructions. For this reason, as Stuart J. Ishimaru, acting chairman of
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, stated in his March 11
testimony before Congress, many women earn less for potentially
discriminatory reasons without even knowing it. Mothers are especially
hard hit.
While learning the art of negotiation is helpful, women need more,
including more transparent wage information and tougher
anti-discrimination laws, including the ability to share salary
information without penalty. As a first step, let’s pass the Paycheck
Fairness Act, which would help end salary secrecy and significantly
strengthen a woman’s ability to earn what she deserves.
Dina Bakst
New York, May 17, 2010
The writer is co-founder and co-president of A Better
Balance: The Work and Family Legal Center, a legal advocacy group that
promotes women’s rights in the workplace.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 