In my ever extending list of reasons I’ve wished I was born a dude, the wage gap is always in my Top 3. We all know the staggering unadjusted statistic: women make just 78% of what their male counterparts do. It is a highlight of the women’s rights movement and mentioning at brunch almost always means the meal becomes a political battlefield.
This week major financial institution Citigroup released its own wage gap numbers, sending the internet into a frenzy surrounding the wage gap once more. The numbers at first will sucker punch you: women at Citigroup make 29% less than men. Thankfully for Citigroup and blood pressure everywhere, that number is the unadjusted number. Citigroup also acknowledges the adjusted number and boasts it proudly:
“On this adjusted basis, we found that women globally are paid on average 99% of what men are paid at Citi.”
Naturally, I found out about this press release via Facebook. Forbes shared the article which quickly gained tons of interaction, most people pointing out the headline Forbes chose (Citigroup Admits It Pays Women 29% Less Than Men) was admittedly pretty misleading. Amidst these comments came the inspiration of the title of this article.
So Citigroup pays women only 1% less for the same jobs in the same area, what’s the BFD? Truth be told, at first 1% didn’t sound like a big deal to me. 99% was an awesome number! Until I thought about my male coworkers (sorry, guys) and realized how offended I’d be if I found out they made 1% more than me. For a woman making $50,000/year, 1% of that pay is $500. $500 over the course of the year doesn’t really sound like much unless you think about what $500 can mean. $500 can be used for big things: multiple car payments or phone bills, groceries, getting ahead on mortgage payments or not having to play catchup so hard after the holidays. $500 (1%) is the difference between catching up or getting ahead of the game, the difference between an indulgence or not. Do we have to have indulgent moments in life? Not necessarily. But should we be denied them just because our bosses think John Doe deserves 1% more? That’s the BFD.
It was hard to not touch the wrap up comments by our commenter that “preferences…lead women to put less emphasis on career ladder climbing.” Now, don’t get me wrong, I know lots of stay at home mamas, lots of women who just prioritize anything over their own careers. But I also know in my own field there are men with less experience and less relevant degrees getting paid the same amount as me. That being said, just about every career woman I know is a go getter out to play the game. Please don’t patronize women and downplay the wage gap (even the 1%!!!) with your commentary. Women are out here to climb this dang ladder.
The Comment Section 