This is an act that is stated to collect the sex, race and national origin of employees working in the US to ensure 'fairness' in the paycheck. S182 is suppose to make pay equality for women better...on the initial glance this sounds great. But on second look, it stinks of a government control of business. It is currently "ILLEGAL", may I stress that again...."ILLEGAL" to ask the national origin of an individual - period. Check out Title VII. All that is required is that an individual is a US citizen or legal alien/resident. Race and Sex can requested only after hiring for use in the company's affirmative action programs, and the employee is entitled to deny and request that this information is not shared with any outside agency since it is voluntary. In fact many of the forms I signed in the business world states just that, "This information will not be shared to third parties". I refused to participate in many of these info gathering items in my company because after they took into account my age, sex, race and department all information gathered about my opinions led directly to me since I was the only one in my department matching the information requested.
This act does not seem to take into account that many businesses give woman maternity leave compensation which men do not receive. This would have to be added into the quotient, or the data for pay would be null & void. I would hope it would take into account identical positions and length of time in the company for pay purposes, education et al...but again, it comes down to this -that this information is not the government's business and to order a business to provide this information to the government - unless they are seeking a gov't minority owner contract with the government IMHO is illegal and unethical. I don't know...seems like the government's main purpose is suppose to be protection of our country and it's interests...not telling businesses, who they can hire and what they have to pay as long as it is minimum wage.
I might get on your wrong side on this one! Back when I first started high school in 1961, women in America were very proud to be 'house wives'. My mom certainly was, as was almost every other 'mom' I knew. Very few were firemen, policemen, soldiers, CEO's, Senators, or businessmen. The were 'women'.
ReplyDeleteThen during the Anti-Vietnam era, and the Equal Rights Movement, and the 'Save the Whales' gesticulation, along came the "Burn Your Bra" crusade. The bra lost and the woman won!
Since then, the tide has turned, and this year, women in America are dying in Afghanistan as front line soldiers. And they did so in Iraq, too. More women have died in combat in these two wars than in all the other American wars put together. And, I'm very proud of this fact. And, I'm very honored by these women in uniform fighting for our freedom.
But, there is a sadness involved. Is it bad that these female soldiers are not house wives raising a family for a happy husband? Maybe not. How old does one have to be to remember "Father Knows Best" on B&W TV? Frankly, American women should be allowed to put on an Infantry uniform and be slaughtered alongside the American men, of whatever race, of whatever religion, of whatever creed. I go along with this. But, it is a bit sad, to me.
Maybe I'm getting old....
LT Bobby Ross
Hi Zena:
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right, it's not the government's busines. Period. Yet, they do it anyway. Why? They need all that info because without it they couldn't justify all the "programs" they fund, which they do just to pander to specific voting blocks for their support.
Unfortunately, too many businessess go along with all this nonsense because if they didn't they'd be in a constant state of harassment from all sorts of support groups, or special community activists, who seem to think the world owes them special consideration, just because of who they are.
All of this makes the point of my last posting...there's a growing cancer in America....etc.
Well, my late mother was a so-called "feminist" when being one was not only uncool....it could land you in jail besides. When she observed all this agitation beginning in the '60s, she would just growl and say....idiots...women don't need rights....we've got wiles!....break into a giggling fit, which required a lady-like sip from her silver hip flask to recover from it.
Good on yer, Warrior Princess!
Centurion
The latest information from the Independent Women's Forum cites another study that found that the wage gap nearly disappears "when controlled for experience, education, and number of years on the job." Also that for today's young adults woman receive 95 cents to the dollar and the gap is almost closed so this is no longer even a valid reason to request this information...someone has already done the study.
ReplyDeleteLT, I am proud that my sisters are out there. At the ripe age of 18 I wanted to earn a green beret, I was in great shape too, and actually had a shot at it, but it was denied. I really hope someday, we open that door. I did get to take SF Desert Survival Training. I'm sure their still trying to figure out how I sneaked into that one..lol
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't that long ago women were admitted to military academies, and they fought as hard or harder than the men for that right. Yup, I am proud to have helped pave the way. And yes, I am a wife and mother now...but I will never be a June Cleaver.