Did you know that Equal Pay Day was April 10 in Hawaii and across the USA? If not, you may be horrified to learn that date marked the day when women’s salaries caught up with those of men from the previous year. Yes, women are actually this poorly paid in comparison to their male counterparts.
Surprisingly, some people living in Hawaii are still unaware of the gender pay gap, and the fact that women in the state on average earn 83 percent of what a man in Hawaii earns (check www.AAUW.org Opens in a new tab for clear presentations of the U.S. Census 2016 data).
While this percentage is appalling, women of color and part-time workers generally suffer an even worse gender penalty in Hawaii, and across the U.S.
We have clear evidence that fairness does not prevail in the locations where people earn their incomes from the U.S. Census, the U.S. Department of Labor, and AAUW reported data. These gender-based salary differentials are found within and across occupations, and continue through individuals’ working lives, worsening with age.
The gender pay gap affects women’s abilities to feed their families at the start of their careers, and their capacities to retire in comfort at age 65. This means that all households in Hawaii with a female family member in the workforce are negatively impacted.
There is little that women can do on their own to protect themselves against the gender pay gap. This is why legislation is so important. If laws do not change, then women are abandoned to their economic plight.
Given this scenario, is there anything happening currently that might improve this situation in Hawaii?
Yes, there is an Equal Pay Bill (Senate Opens in a new tab Bill Opens in a new tab2351 Opens in a new tab) that is still alive in the legislative process. This bill, like many others, is now under discussion by a conference committee, made up of House and Senate members. This committee’s goal is to determine if there is a way of mediating the minor differences between the Senate and House versions of SB 2351. It is to be hoped that the committee will reach a successful conclusion, allowing for final voting, and eventually progress into Hawaiii State Law.
What would this bill offer to the people of Hawaii? Two simple fixes are proposed in this measure, which is focused on discussion of wages in the workplace, and provision of one’s previous salary to a new employer. Women’s salary histories show that a gender penalty follows them from one workplace to another. This bill is an effort to break this cycle, by prohibiting employers from asking potential employees about their earnings at a previous job. This means that women will be offered salaries based on educational qualifications, occupational skills and workplace successes, rather than the lower wages they suffered at previous jobs. Similar bills have been passed in a number of other states.
The second portion of this bill, preventing employers from negatively sanctioning employees who discuss their wages, is also helpful for promoting a fair wages environment. Women typically do not know that they are being paid less than co-workers unless they discover this information through conversations.
In conclusion, many of us are excited to see the Equal Pay Bill (SB 2351) progressing through the legislative process, and it is to be hoped that the women of Hawaii may have something positive to celebrate on the next Equal Pay Day.
Susan J. Wurtzburg is policy chairwoman of AAUW-Hawaii.
