Mind the gap

Jappreet Sethi

With the increasing awareness about gender inequality at workplaces, more and more companies are now taking measures to address this issue which has gained a lot of traction and media attention in recent years. One of the main areas where inequality affects women is in the wage gap.  In several countries, including some of the most developed ones, female employees are paid much less than the male counterparts for the same amount of work.  

Overcoming this inequality is not a gargantuan task and can be achieved by the employer effectively. Wondering how you can bridge the gap in wages and other aspects among men and women at your organisation? Here are some ways how you can to do this:

• Conduct a thorough survey and analysis into the pay scale of your male and female employees. Compare and analyse this data based on factors like the work, department, age of the employee, performance history, and experience to recognise any pay gap that may be existing.
• The responsibility of taking care of kids has often been the reason that has led to women taking long career breaks. One of the main reasons for this is the absence of paternal leaves for their partners. Introducing equal paternal leaves for male employees also does its bit for overcoming the gender pay gap.
• Delegate duties based on the skills instead of gender. 
• Create clear guidelines about workplace harassment for women. Strengthening women by offering them a safe environment can do wonders in fast-tracking their career’s growth.
• When you do something to combat the gender gap at your organisation, make sure you publicise it. This does not just help the company get noticed in a positive light but also creates benchmarks for other organisations to follow suit.
• All the employees should be given access to mentoring sessions that help them develop their negotiating skills for their pay and other areas at work.

Although most of these measures are focused on creating a better environment for women, addressing gender equality about creating and offering the same opportunities for both genders. Thanks to the increased number of vigilante forces in India fighting to overcome the issue of a gender gap, the government has taken notice of the issues and has started introducing appropriate laws and measures to tackle it. 

In the past five years, the Indian government has brought about several measures to help address some of the main factors that can contribute to the gender gap and inequality between men and women at the workplace. Some of the recent developments include the recent amendment of the Maternity Benefit Act to help bring more women back to the workforce. 

Bridging the gap between male and female employees is not just about creating equal opportunities for both but also for the creation of a more inclusive workplace.  

— The writer is an HR & strategy consultant  www.humanresourcesblog.in

Culture of transparency

Incorporate a culture of transparency in the organisation. When you make a change to address the pay gap, announce it to the company. Set minimum and maximum pay limit for each position can help in deciding on the salary for future recruits.