The More Things Change . . .

by the Pirate on November 26, 2006

the more they stay the same.

{ 5 comments }

Darrell November 26, 2006 at 8:56 pm

Sixth paragraph: “My first professional job I came into a position vacated by a male. Somewhere along the line I found out the male who had the job prior to me was making $20,000 per year than I was.”

People making a case for how much they’re worth professionally should learn to proofread and edit…Just my humble opinion. Or learn how to hire a proofreader and editor.

Attila Girl November 26, 2006 at 11:25 pm

Aw, c’mon. It was a long post. And it’s just one little eensy missing word.

Also, she was overwrought . . . that never helps one’s grammar or diction.

Darrell November 27, 2006 at 10:25 am

I was being kind.

There seems to be omissions in her data that lead me to suspect she has intentionally omitted all things that would weaken her case for gender-only discrimination. For example, she states that her predecessor in her first position at the firm was male, and that he made $20,000 (more) than she did. What were his “specifics”? For example, was he at the firm for 30 years? A lot of factors could justify the pay disparity. Her statement, “(t)he fact I built this place from scratch…” doesn’t make sense(given that she talked about her predecessor)unless she provides a whole lot more information. She says “she’s the boss now,…”CEO? COO? She has no power to block the board’s unilateral decision? Odd, that. So is the part about that underling being paid more than her to start– in an undefined capacity at the firm, yet. Hmmm. If you don’t use the power you have, you lose the right to complain.

In the professions(medicine, science, and law), those possessing only x chromosomes earn, at minimum, 10% more than those contaminated with a y–other factors(ranking of college where degree was conferred, years of experience, etc.). The Ys understand that this has to do with supply and demand, meeting qualifications for federal funding, and other factors. It has been this way for at least 26 years.

In my experience, those with the highest salaries–male and female–are always those who who only stick around a short time before leaving for greener pastures. And before they are discovered. With each jump, they get a minimum 10% salary kicker whether they warrant it or not. I have never seen anyone who fits this description as being deserving. Those of us who stay for thirty years are given meager annual pay raises. Meager when compared to those who “churn” their careers.

If you want to be at the leading edge of salaries, you have to fight for it tooth and nail and play all the games(like getting competing job offers and being prepared to leave if the company doesn’t counter-offer). If you don’t, you’ll have only the person in the mirror to blame. Or, maybe you have decided that other things are more important.

Azmat Hussain November 28, 2006 at 8:59 pm

In my experience, those with the highest salaries–

Do you move around a lot Darrell?

Or as you say “Those of us who stay for thirty years are given meager annual pay raises.”

I thought Republicans believed in opportunity, and the pursuit of the Almighty.
And value competition. I am confused, are you a closet liberal, taking meager pay raises?

Attila Girl November 29, 2006 at 12:36 am

No, he’s a conservative. He goes with what he knows will make him happy, rather chasing dreams that probably wouldn’t.

And he knows there’s more to life than money. That’s a damn fine thing to know, whether you hang out on the right, or the left.

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