Women and Wages in Wisconsin
By Amanda West, Freelance Writer

While society continues to advance at a rapid pace, one seemingly old-fashioned practice remains: Women are paid less than men.

That's right. It's the year 2004 and women are still earning less than men, despite the Equal Pay Act, which was enacted over 40 years ago.

How much less?
In 1963, according to data from the Census Bureau and Department of Labor, women made 59 cents, on average, to every dollar that men earned. In 2002, the most recent data available, women earned 72 to 77 cents on the dollar compared men. (All figures are based on the median pay for full-time work.)

In Wisconsin, the data is worse. According to Lin Clousing, Wisconsin legislation chair for the state chapter of Business and Professional Women, in 2002, Wisconsin women made 69 cents on the dollar compared to men. This figure is primarily based on the wages of white women; for women of other races, the disparity is even more pervasive. Additionally, the state figure is not endemic to a specific region or job sector - it spans all careers, all industries and all counties in the state.

In "The Status of Women in Wisconsin" report issued in 2002 by the Institute for Women's Policy Research, Wisconsin's ratio of women's to men's earnings earned the state a rank of 39 out of a possible 51 (all 50 states plus the District of Columbia). This ratio, it said in the report, "falls among the worst third of the states."

Where the "problem" lies
While data from the federal government shows that gender pay gaps exist, it's "very hard to prove there is a problem," said Clousing. If there is a difference in compensation between a man and women in the same position, that difference in pay is typically attributed to objective reasons such as education, experience, promotions, longevity with the employer and more.

However, these reasons are not always the case and Clousing gives two primary reasons for the disparity.

"There is still a great fear that women are going to come into the workforce, take up jobs and then leave to have babies and raise families," said Clousing. "Many organizations don't want to deal with that. Hiring new staff is expensive and timely."

"The truth is, women do fall out of work to raise families and have babies," said Clousing, "but more often than not, we jump right back in."

Clousing was also quick to point out that many times men and women will start at the same wage, but the pay inequity manifests itself through promotions and perks.

The second reason women are paid less than men, said Clousing, is because women, by nature, have a propensity for service jobs, which typically pay less.

What's a girl to do?
Unfortunately, Clousing cautioned, there is little legal recourse if a women suspects she is being paid less than her male counterparts.

"At some businesses, just talking about wages will get you fired," said Clousing. "We are in a no-fault hiring and firing state. You can get fired for no reason."

If a woman is serious about her charge though, lawsuits are an option, though they are extremely difficult to win, hard to prove, and can be drawn out over a number of years.

"A lot of women hesitate to file suit in cases of pay inequity because they are long and difficult and because they don't want to lose their job," said Clousing. "So what do you do? Sue the company and keep working there? Sue the company and quit? Accept it as reality? It can put a woman in a real tough spot."

While single-party lawsuits are somewhat impossible, if the company is large and many other women suspect pay inequity, a class-action suit is the better route, though it is still a challenge.

Another way women can seek recourse for unfair compensation is through education, legislation and perseverance. For the past several years, Wisconsin BPW has urged the Wisconsin State Legislature to pass the Equal Pay and Enforcement Act. Under this act, a commission of legislators, business professionals, academics and other organizations that advocate for pay equity would study wage disparities. If an organization is suspected of disproportionately compensating its female employees, and found to be doing so, this act would allow fines and other penalties to be levied against it.

"A problem does exist," said Clousing. "And it's one worth fighting against."

What are Madisonians making?

If you are wondering what the average salary is for your occupation, there are several web sites that give compensation information based on your geographical location. This information should only be used as a guideline and you should check several different resources.

• www.salary.com
• www.bls.gov/data/home.htm (Visitors to the Bureau of Labor Statistics can create customized compensation comparison tables based on its National Compensation Survey.)
• www.compensation-online.com

Originally printed in the July 2004 issue of Wisconsin Woman. Reprinted with permission.

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