H.R. 1338 Paycheck Fairness Act. Ladies, your raise has been denied.
So the 2010 congress has failed to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and of course The Democratic controlled congress and liberal media outlets such as The Nation plus various union groups are placing the blame on Republicans. The question they have to ask themselves is why they would want it passed in the first place.
I ask all women: Do you want equal pay because you earned it or because the government is making it so ? Can you imagine how much worse the derogatory attitude of men towards women would be if they could say "She makes just as much as me due to government regulation". Women are already eligible for the same pay and benefits as men. So let us omit the health benefits that many women receive that no man ever will receive and offer a quick lesson in compensation negotiation to women, and men too.
Every aspect of a pay raise is a negotiation. First you have to negotiate that a raise is merited and then you have to negotiate how much that will be. If you are in the same job and want a raise you had better come to the meeting with a list of reasons why you have earned what you are asking for. If you are going for a new job you had better have an idea of how much the position should pay and how much you want. Depending on what industry you are in there are varied means of doing this, but I will leave you to suss that out for yourself.
Here’s a tip for when the day comes and you are applying for a new position or contending for a raise. Always ask for way more than you want, expect to get considerably less, but make sure you are clear that salary discussions will be revisited within 6 months of your getting the job. Don’t always ask for money either, snagging an extra week of paid vacation can be a good deal too. If the boss actually comes to you with a promotion opportunity, name an astronomical sum. If there is a higher position available, and you have made it obvious that you are the person they need, you are in a position of power and they will have to negotiate to meet your demands. Be tough, be firm, but don’t overvalue yourself. Everyone is replaceable. the company knows how much it wants to pay you and how much it is willing to pay you, the number you want to get to is somewhere in the middle. If you go too low you are being paid far less than others in the same job. If you go too high it will be more difficult to meet or exceed expectations.
You would not believe some of the things men ask for in reviews. Parking places, greater per diems when on the road, airfare upgrades, rental car upgrades, hotel upgrades, corporate credit cards, when traveling they want extra days off at the destination with pay so they can sight see, souvenir allowances (I kid you not), longer vacations, preferential vacation scheduling, are just some of the things that I myself have asked and been asked for. The uniqueness of requested perks is unending and each generation seems to throw new and interesting ideas into the mix.
It never hurts to ask for something, the worst that will happen is you hear "No!" the best that can happen is your demands are met.
It may sound crazy but I think women are the cause of male negotiating successes. When we are getting intimate for the first time (or trying to at least) the woman says "No" and so the man asks "If not that, how about this?" again "No!" so it goes to "Well then what about this?" again "No!" and men keep asking for different things until you give up a little something. We go for a home run and settle for a kiss and a hug. Most importantly, we always go for the big play first, and companies are more likely to give in to our demands (read: begging) at an earlier stage of the negotiation.
So I say this. Thank you women for teaching we men to negotiate and earn more money due to those skills.
Now get out there and get yourself a raise.
