What’s sad is this is still the prevailing attitude as evidenced by the disparity of wages.  The bosses just don’t admit it because of course they can be sued now.  Laws unfortuntately don’t change attitudes.

I agree Baby Snooks.

Reality and hardship are the only thing that can and will make someone rethink the reality they create by holding someone down for any reason.

In my world, Karma is a beautiful thing.

Amy, PennDragon Studios

simpletownUSA.com 

A male friend (all of 33 years old) justifies this on the basis of "Well, you’ll probably have kids eventually and quit, so why should your employer pay you the same as a man?" Geez! My husband’s moderately disabled; we won’t have children. I pointed that out to my young friend, who was unmoved: I still don’t "deserve" equal pay for equal work because conceivably (pardon the pun) I could give birth at a future date.

Years ago I read a lady author’s assertion that no matter what, women are always "dealt a handicap." Initially I thought that was a radical statement; well, I was younger (and dumber) then…  It’s true.

Wonder if your bosses took note?

That happened to me more than once—the "man has a family to support" argument. The last time someone offered it to me, however, was when I was a single mother with two little kids to support. And I said so! But lo and behold, the male prerogative is a hard thing to shake loose; he said to me, well you’ll probably marry again soon and won’t need it anyway. I was dumbfounded. And soon developed a new career strategy that worked even better than the one I had originally embarked on. (Also, I "told on him" by mentioning it in a humorous way to his wife, who I knew to be a feminist.) My new plan was more difficult than just expecting "fairness," and sent me in interesting new and profitable direx I certainly hadn’t expected,. Such is life. Sometimes adversity can work for you …

I have been in the same industry for 25 years and finally feel like I have a leg up on the guys I work with, same level and finally I get paid more.  One of the young guys just got married and bought a house, he went to our boss to discuss a raise and was shot down.  He used these points to fight for his raise and it back fired.  Our boss told him that he can sell more to earn more money but his life choices were not going to guilt him into paying him more than he deserved.  When the young guy told me this I told him that his experience was mine over the past 25 years.  I was sympathetic with him but on the inside I was screaming …. there is equality this time! 

I worked at a local medical center for ten years, year six a new manager (retired air force commander) took over the department. Over the next three years, I recieved a total of less than $.20 in raises, although I had one of the highest senorities in the department, when I asked "Why", I was told the men in the department had real needs in thier life to support. Being married at the time, he did not seed any economic need for raises while at the same time advancing the pay of males in the department on scales of dollar levels. Leaving I composed a rendition of Take This Job and Shove It, wrote just for him as my letter for resignation.

Joni,

Personally I think he did us all a favor, we have only benefited from the ways of the miser he was. You took your wings and have really flown!

I always took positions that were "male oriented" because those were the most interesting jobs. On my first real job I worked myself up to the position of department head, without being paid as much as my two male peers. When I questioned this I too was told that since I was a single "girl" and they were married with families they had to be paid more even though I did as good if not better job. I quickly went to their major competitor and got paid my worth. My first employer was stunned!

One of my bosses was constantly stroking my hair or my arms. I asked him a number of times not to do it. I finally had it one day saying, "I tolerate this during office hours but this is my lunch hour" and kicked him in the ankle!  He walked with a cane for weeks. He never told anyone how he hurt his ankle-but he never touched me again.

Frankly, I never let these things bother me-I just plodded ahead, doing what I wanted to do. Eventually I opened my own business. Most of my employees, male and female said I was the best boss they had ever had.  To be honest, I had many more problems with the females I worked with than the men. In those days many women felt that in order to be successful they had to "bury" someone else. I tried to teach them that there is room in the world for everyone to be successful without bad mouthing and ruining other people.

Fortunately today’s work world for women is much improved. There are still some "barracudas" (both male and female) but a different breed.

 

My blog today in maybe a quirky sort of way, applies to this too. Seeing the big and little of who we are!

Teamwork of the Large and Small of Your Existence

Kanye West on an appearance with Oprah at one time discussed with her being in New York and spotting her limo, proceeding to tell her he would be on her show someday – Oprah responded with a comment, which indicated not just everybody, is on her show. At the time, Kanye was not “large” enough for her attention. Oprah is a dynamo; she completes what seems to be the impossible without hesitation, if she chooses so. You might be saying “So what?” Absolutely every person is both Kanye and Oprah. On some level, you have a focus on large dreams and desires, yet also hindsight through events in your life, which now seem complete and another day passed as Oprah might see events in relation to the world, in comparison to an observer seeing those events in relation to only Oprah. As Kanye, focusing on another to be their point of validation, possibly really ignoring the self-appreciation of the steps and goals accomplished when all focus is thought to be outside of who they are. Appreciating the focus of WHO you are as being the guarantor of your dream desires, could possibly allow you to see YOU are the Oprah of your spirit. The Oprah acknowledges the work you have done, self-saying thank you for the work, you are now rewarded. Teaming the work energy, with the energy of acknowledgement and fulfillment in your life. One is not illusive to the other or self-sustaining through the process of rising from within too create your dreamsHolding the big and little together as partners in a mortal existence. We are large and we are small making the whole from within. At times, the small is going to falter while the true larger part of whom you are does not turn away, only waits for you to move forward again. Today Mercury leaves retrograde and a period in self-reflection. Gather your thoughts in retrograde and apply your reflection in aligning to your highest dreams and desires. Always give full attention to moments as they cross your mind and path, not in idleness but in knowledge given and being awake to the opportunities as they are presented. Run with your thoughts regardless of how small they may seem, as they are only a reflection in the mirror from your larger acknowledgement already done – and waiting!