Transgender Equality in the Workplace

What does transgender mean?  According to the American Psychological Association  (APA), the term is “used to describe people whose gender identity (sense of themselves as male or female) or gender expression differs from that usually associated with their birth sex”.  Very important, transgender people should not be referred to as “transgendered”.

Federal law protects against employment discrimination based on race, gender, religion, national origin or disability, but not sexual orientation or gender identity.  Currently, there are 12 states and the District of Columbia that have policies that protect against both sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in employment: California, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. 

Those from New York are wondering why the state is not included.  Well, New York has state laws that protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation only!

A bill called Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), (H.R. 3017), would provide basic protections against workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.  The bill is closely modeled on existing civil rights laws including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The bill was introduced in the House by Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) in the House and in the Senate by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Susan Collins (R-ME) on September 23, 2009.

Rep. Barney Frank testifies at a hearing regarding H.R. 3017, Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009 on September 23, 2009.   

 

President Obama Signs the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009

On January 29, 2009, with the new law’s namesake Lilly Ledbetter there to witness, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act — legislation to fight pay discrimination and ensure fundamental fairness to American workers.

Paid Parental Leave for Federal Employees

Under current law, federal employees are entitled to 12 weeks of leave without pay after the birth, adoption, or fostering of a child.  When the employee returns from the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, they must be returned to the same position or to an equivalent position with equivalent benefits.  The employees may be paid during the 12-week period if they use their annual or sick leave that they have accrued. 

Carolyn Maloney, D-NY, sponsored a bill called Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2009.  This bill will provide up to four weeks of paid parental leave to federal and congressional employees for the birth, adoption, or placement of a child, out of the twelve weeks of unpaid leave that are currently available to employees under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

This is a benefit for men and women.  Equality at its best in the workplace!

Your thoughts…would anyone had bothered to take a peek at this bill if it were for women only?

The Motherhood Penalty!

According to three Cornell University sociologists, the pay gap between mothers and childless women is larger than the gap between men and women!  The study is called “Getting a Job: Is There a Motherhood Penalty,” published in the American Journal of Sociology in 2007 and winner of the 2008 Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award for Excellence in Work-Family Research.  The results showed that mothers were 100% less likely to be hired.  They were ranked as less competent and less committed than non-moms.  In addition, they were offered $11,000 a year less pay than an equally qualified childless candidate. 

As for men, well, fathers were ranked higher than non-dads.  In other words, fathers were more committed and more competent than non-dads and mothers!

Are you shocked with the results of this study? 

The Gender Organization Theory

The Gender Organization Theory states that organizations and everyday workplace interactions contain normative gender expectations that privilege men and disadvantage women.  Images of men’s bodies and masculinity saturate organizational processes, trivializing women and contributing to the maintenance of gender segregation in organizations.  

The images above represent a secretary and the other image is teamwork.   

Do you believe organizations structure their positions and pay scales with gender in mind?

Have you seen these warning signs on the road Men at Work?

The Gender Socialization Theory

Researchers have stated that the Gender Socialization Theory is another factor in the phenomenon of the wage gap.  At an early age, boys and girls are socialized to behave in gender appropriate ways.  Girls and boys are treated differently and are placed into different learning environments.  They develop different needs, wants, desires, skills, and temperaments.  You have heard people say boys don’t cry, girls play in the house with dolls, boys have to go outside and get dirty, etc.  Therefore, these boys and girls grow up to be different types of people based on their gender socialization roles given. 

As adults, women will select jobs that best allow them to “do” and “be” their gender and so do men.  If men or women deviate from their roles, they will receive negative responses for behaving like the opposite gender.  For example, men who are nurses have a difficult time defending their masculinity.  Women, on the other hand, entering a male dominated field have to defend their femininity, as well as, demonstrate their ability to be as good as a man. 

Gender socialization leads to society trying to push individuals into certain social roles despite their preferences. 

Do you believe the Gender Socialization Theory is the cause of inequality in the workplace? 

The Human Capital Theory

“Human capital refers to the stock of skills and knowledge embodied in the ability to perform labor so as to produce economic value” (Wikipedia, Human Capital).  The human capital theory states that inequalities between men and women in the workplace are due to differences in skills and experience, not discrimination.  And, that women have less favorable jobs because they have more interrupted careers, work in more part-time jobs, and take different educational paths than men.[1]

The argument continues with a belief that women expect to devote more time to children and household work, which leads them to under invest in human capital. The theory also suggests that women self-select into female dominated occupations.  Thereby, women choose women’s work, regardless if it pays less, because they want work that is similar to household responsibilities.  

What an interesting theory as to why a wage gap exists….

Do you agree with the Human Capital Theory?

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[1] Devey-Tomaskovic, D. 1993. Gender & Racial Inequality at Work The Sources & Consequences of Job Segregation. New York: ILR Press, p. 12.

The Glass Ceiling

The Wall Street Journal coined the term “glass ceiling” about 20 years ago.  It refers to an invisible barrier that prevents women from obtaining high-ranking positions in business.  This is obvious by the disparity of men and women CEOs heading the Fortune 500 companies.  Currently, there are only 15 women CEOs heading the Fortune 500 companies.  Researchers still debate on why women don’t make it.

The following are some reasons that have been tossed around:

Women don’t do enough networking.  In other words, women will bury themselves in work hoping to be noticed.  Instead, the guys are out playing golf and networking.  By networking, they’re gaining valuable connections and they’re getting the inside scoop of the goings on in the company.  This heads up information will help them climb to the top. 

Women tend to nitpick; they obsess over details. 

Women don’t sell themselves they believe in meritocracy. 

Women take whatever salary is offered to them. 

Women don’t take risks.

Women are exhausted.  They tend to stay late at the office while the guys are out networking and once they go home, they have housework to do.

Women are content they don’t want to break the glass ceiling.

The above represents just a few reasons why a wage gap exists and the lack of women in high-ranking positions.   

What are your thoughts on how to break the glass ceiling or why the glass ceiling has not been broken?

The Gendered Workplace

Women and men have always worked.  Women worked outdoors, too.  Yet, in the 1950s, something changed.  A division of labor was created with the concept that dads head out to work every morning, leaving mom to stay at home with the children, to be a full-time housewife and mother.  Television programs such as Leave It To Beaver, The Honeymooners, and I Love Lucy were classic examples of the phenomenon of a traditional division of a new labor system.  The concept occurred after World War II to help American men reenter the workplace and return women from the workplace back into their homes.   

Today, the norm is the dual-earner couple.  Women work for the same reasons men do – to support themselves and their families, to experience a sense of accomplishment, and to ensure a secure future.  Yet, many Americans still believe in the male breadwinner and female housewife model even though our lives do not reflect it.  They believe that there are certain jobs better suited for women than for men.  Unfortunately, the jobs identified as better suited for women and the jobs that women are attracted to tend to pay less! We (society) continue to adhere to gender ideologies that no longer exist.   

According to sociologist, Arlie Hochschild, women that are hired in an all male workplace are hired for a purpose.  He states, “In the all-male workplace, women’s role was to lubricate the male-male interactions.  Women performed what sociologist Arlie Hochschild called emotion work, making sure that the all-male arena was well oiled and functioning smoothly.”[1]  

The consistent persistence of traditional gender ideologies and changes to the economic necessities makes this a difficult workplace arena for both men and women.  Women face persistent discrimination based on gender and men are angered because the workplace policies make them feel like they’re walking on eggshells.  They’re afraid of making a remark to a woman for fear that they may be taken into court for sexual harassment.  

So, how do you change the gender ideologies of society?   

Do you know of any woman who stayed home because their husband believed in a traditional division of system of labor?  Please share their story.  

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[1] Kimmel, M., 2004, The Gendered Society, New York: Oxford University Press, p. 185-186.  

The Glass Escalator

What Happens When Men Do Women’s Work

The sex segregation in our U.S. labor force is a monumental problem in our society.  Women consist of 46.5 percent of the total labor force and are projected to account for 47 percent by 2016; yet, men and women are still confined to predominantly single sex occupations!  Therefore, forty percent of men or women would have to change major occupational categories to achieve equal representation of men and women in all jobs[1].

Christine Williams conducted a study of men entering the feminized fields of nursing, primary teaching, library science, and social work.  She finds that these men fared well; all had positive outcomes.  The men who worked in women’s jobs increased the status of that particular field which led them to promotions and salary increases.  However, the reverse occurred to women who entered male fields; the outcomes were less positive and promotion and acceptance was quite difficult.

According to the study conducted by Williams, the more female-dominated the specialty, the greater the preference for men.  Although, there were cases where men were barred from certain jobs, for example, in a rural town in Texas, school districts refused to hire male teachers for grades K-3.  Also, in some private Catholic hospitals, male nurses were excluded from positions in obstetrics and gynecology wards.

Men who worked in a woman’s job, experienced pressure from management to move up and out of their current positions to a more suitable, prestigious job.  There was a case study of a male kindergarten teacher who won a Teacher of the Year award; was told he needed to move towards administration or teach in a university setting despite his aptitude and interest in staying in the classroom.

Bonding occurs easily.  Men bonded with their male managers naturally, which in itself is an incentive and a transparent emphasis of the distinctiveness of the female majority.  Although not all men experienced this preferential treatment, openly gay men encountered walls.  Interestingly enough, not all these men had male managers or supervisors; some had female bosses who also treated them with high levels of acceptance.  Women appear to be eager to have men enter their fields and help them along their way.  Unfortunately, women encounter the reverse with male managers.

It’s apparent that both men and women who work in nontraditional occupations encounter discrimination.  Men are given preferential treatment in hiring and promotion decisions, they have a higher-level acceptance in the field, and are well integrated in the workplace culture.  Christine Williams calls this phenomenon the glass escalator effect.

Conversely, women entering traditional male professions encounter discrimination, harassment, exclusion from formal networks, and lower salaries.

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[1] Williams, C., cited in Sacks, N. E. and Marrone, C., Gender and Work in Today’s World A Reader, MA: Westview Press, 2004, p. 105.