Q & A Table of Contents
Unequal Pay For Unequal Work
From: Valerie
Question: I am a commerce graduate, 39 yrs old, with a diploma in secretaryship and now over 18 years of exp as Exec Asst to CEOs of various multinationals. Since July 1998, with a major multinational, have been independently holding fort with secretarial, communications, admin, HR including Training & Dev functions in the absence of respective department heads and a country head! Due to my vast exp have been able to handle the Communications and HR functions very well. Highlights of my achievements are producing the company's first electronic bulletin and newsletter singlehandedly - also formulated the company's training strategy, conducted the training needs analysis, training plan and implementation of the same again single handedly; have a long list of other achievements - all gone unrecognized due to absence of strong leadership.
Now, due to my efforts/initiatives taken up with appropriate sr mgmnt, the company does have a new on board HR Director and Country Head (I have been made to report to the HR Director who is my age with an MBA. I am doing my MBA now). I do not mind this except that they refuse to pay me accordingly (i.e. for doing a complex multifaceted job) or give me an appropriate title.
I still handle all the jobs, infact am inducting the new HR Director and am treated like an entry level Secretary besides all the politics insecure and threatened males play. How to manage the promotion I definitely deserve - your advice would be appreciated. Now my company has been bought by another major company and I may face losing my job or be absorbed as a Secretary which I doubt will happen - nobody wants double headcount!
Response: Dear Valerie,
It sounds as if you are indeed a woman of many talents and accomplishments. If you are in the process of 'inducting' the new HR manager into the company and his job, I wonder if the powers that be might be concerned if they knew that you are dissatisfied with your current situation -- and might even consider leaving. From the sound of your note, you are not insecure about changing jobs so the possibility you might quit is not just a bluff.
With a clear sense of the market value of someone with your skills and experience, you should be able to set goals for yourself in terms of title and compensation. If your superiors do not want to make any immediate changes, you can ask them what specific objective accomplishments you achieve will yield what specific changes to your title, pay, and other elements of your rewards for your work. How much will they increase your pay when you have earned your MBA? What will that degree do in terms of your job title? You need to ask questions to learn what benchmarks or achievements will make a difference in your situation.
As you consider making changes in your situation, you need to think about how best to assert your feelings. If your superiors think that you are accepting whatever comes your way, their ignorance is not their fault. If you have expressed yourself by presenting your view of the situation and they have not responded appropriately, perhaps your next step should be to ask their advice: "If you were me, what would you suggest I do?" If their response is "You should be satisfied with what you have, it's all you deserve (or it's all the company can afford)," you need to be prepared to be clear about your feelings. I am not at all suggesting getting all emotional; but you should make it clear that your job satisfaction is a significant factor in your job performance. You are proud of what you do, but need reinforcement -- like any normal human being -- that affirms your value.
I wish you luck as you try to turn this situation in a more favorable direction.
Steve
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