Pay equality

Posted by Lizzie on Sep-5-2008

There’s a lot of talk about women’s issues this election cycle. Thanks to Hillary Clinton, and now Sarah Palin, we’re back in the spotlight. In that vein, Congress is pressing for a revote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which failed to pass previously. McCain has come out again it:

“I am all in favor of pay equity for women, but this kind of legislation, as is typical of what’s being proposed by my friends on the other side of the aisle, opens us up to lawsuits for all kinds of problems,” the expected GOP presidential nominee told reporters. “This is government playing a much, much greater role in the business of a private enterprise system.”

I’ve recently engaged in a half-hearted IT job search - in anticipation of my eventual graduation from the Tech program. There seems to be a little available, but I’ve heard that women are not treated favorably in the IT industry. It would please me, and thousands of other women, tremendously if this actually became law. Would I know that my male counterparts were making more than me? Probably not. But this act would give me recourse should I find out about a pay discrepancy after the fact. As a woman hoping to work in a male-dominated field, I would feel just a little better knowing I had a safety net.

There was some talk that this law isn’t necessary. I beg to differ. I worked with a company (unrelated to the tech field) that cut me a mystery check. When I inquired to what the purpose of the check was, I was told that it was to make up for a pay difference between me and my male counterparts. I had no idea that the men were making that much more per hour than I was, but there was a lawsuit and the settlement agreement was that this company would pay the hourly difference to each female for whatever period of time they agreed to (I think it was 3 months, even though I’d been there for over a year at that point). I left that company not long afterward, but my eyes had been opened. The reasoning for the lower pay was that women are mothers and so are prone to miss work because of their sick children. Men, on the other hand, are more reliable and should be rewarded. Really?

At a time when a major political party has nominated a self-proclaimed “hockey mom” to be vice president, there should be no more “she should get less because she’s a mom”. This woman is seeking a job while parenting 5 children (and potentially helping parent a grandchild) so the reason listed above would apply to her and her pay should be cut significantly. Right? No. Wrong. Her husband will be able to tend to the children while she runs for office and he can tend to the children while she continues to govern Alaska (except that he’s got a full-time job plus an extra job on the side in the summer, but that’s not this issue). It’s only fair that the rest of American women enjoy the same equality in pay as the women who govern them.

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Posted in Featured, irritations

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I Get A Little Sidetracked

Posted by Lizzie in Living with Pain, Online Play, family, irritations, school, sinful pleasures, work from home

I have been having some real issues at home and at school lately. Most of those issues are time-related and it’s pretty much all my fault. I was spending way too much time on Twitter, reading forums, watching videos… It’s pretty easy to be unproductive while working online, that’s for sure.

Of course, I’ve been doing a lot of work outside. I probably shouldn’t, but I can’t help it. It’s gorgeous out there right now. Winter is finally over, the flowers are finally up and things have got to get done. Steve and I are working on some motion-activated lighting because the other night someone came through to our back yard and left our gate open. The neighbor’s car was broken into, so we think they were probably checking our house too. Warm weather brings more than beautiful flowers, I’m afraid. At any rate, my flower beds are shamefully neglected. Last summer I was sick and when I had energy it was spent tending to Steve’s vegetable patch. Not this year. This year is all about my posies. He’ll have to tend to his own tomatoes.

Speaking of tending things, my husband has decided it is his dream to be a cattle hand. He wants to work at a local dairy farm instead of where he’s currently employed. He wants me to apply for the medical card for Mags so he can get rid of the insurance. Of course, while Mags and Pee Wee will be covered by the medical card, he’ll get VA benefits and I’ll get…zilch. Because we work I can’t get the medical card and the VA doesn’t offer benefits for spouses. Isn’t that lovely? He says we’ll put back money for my medical expenses. Except that his pay will be cut directly in half, he won’t get overtime (farmers are exempt from paying it) and we won’t have enough to pay our regular bills. He’ll be living his “Farmer Brown” dream, though. Yippee!!¹ He also closed out our IRA fund. Isn’t that lovely? Who needs a retirement fund when there are (someone else’s) cows to be milked? Feh.

Someone in the BellaOnline forums mentioned to me that I look young (in a conversation on why I probably convinced my daughter to go out and get pregnant² because I was a young mother and…). I’m thinking I won’t look so young much longer. I’ll be turning 35 pretty soon and I’ll start looking 66 soon after. There’s no doubt in my mind.

So, what am I doing to insure our family doesn’t go belly up? Sadly, not a whole lot right now. Hopefully things will pick up for me and I’ll be able to report something other than just family news. I have something in the fire right now, but it’s taking a while to pan out. It’s got something to do with pre-screening and getting the ok from publicists. That’s all I’m saying. I keep trudging along, taking the good opportunities as they come. I think if I keep taking risks, putting my neck out, and facing rejection head on I may just find that golden egg.

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