In this report, I use the sources from the money class materials and external sources. As background information precedes it, let us start with the current events. On March 8th, which also coincided with International Women’s Day, the United States Women’s National Team filed a legal suit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, asserting that the federation had been discriminating on the grounds of gender and demanding equal pay for the 28 players on the team (Culvin et al., 2022). Carli Lloyd, a globally recognized figure as the best female player and captain of the U.S. national team, encapsulates the sentiment: “It seems like they don’t care about us as much as they do the men guys, and we are not their first.”
The performance of the USA national team in the soccer world is undeniable, as they were crowned champions in several World Cups, attained the Olympic gold, and have been regarded as a force to reckon with in this sport. However, the most crucial struggle for the female players is in the matter of discrimination, wage gaps and poorer treatment compared to the male players on the men’s U.S. national team. The above claims further emphasize the significance of bridging gender pay gaps and ensuring equal pay compensation in sports and other sectors of the economy, as disclosed in equal pay compensation reports (U.S. et al. Commission, 2023).
The Equal Pay Act provides that men and women assuming the same job under the same conditions in the same workplace must earn the same wages. However, the roles should be alike, not necessarily the same. Working equivalence refers to the nature of the work, not the titles of roles given. Compensation legislation deals with various kinds of compensation: salaries, overtime pay, bonuses, stock options, and benefits, such as insurance and vacation pay (Abbott Watkins, 2018). Employers are forbidden from adjusting wages for gender to address the pay gap.
Soccer is also considered the game of the gods, but the team fights a brutal and radical battle for equality against its employer, the United States Soccer Federation. Every player’s greatest dream is to become a part of that team. They envisage that a victory will help to break down not only the sports gender gap but also one in areas where men excel at the same jobs as women but earn less pay.
It is in nobody’s heart how the United States Soccer Federation thought. As Solo mentioned, they discussed it frequently. However, every time soccer players mentioned the men, it would trigger their anger and annoy them, and they would add, “Do not bring it up. Do not bring the men.” The consistent push-back did and is still there.
Ensuring Legal Compliance: Employers should be aware of and comply with employment laws and regulations on equal pay, such as the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. This includes, among other things, understanding their legal obligations and being familiar with any legislative amendments regulating equality in pay and gender discrimination. Conducting Pay Equity Analysis: A periodic review of pay equity by identifying any imbalances of compensation differences attributed to gender(U.S. et al. Commission, 2023). This is done by looking into employees’ salaries to see if they are paid equally for similar jobs, allowing for adjustment of the job responsibilities, skills, and experience.
Tackling Unconscious Bias: Developing educational programs for recruiters, team leaders, and people responsible for payrolls to eliminate unconscious bias influencing decision-making processes. This sort of training provides managers and employees with a better understanding of the biases that could be the reason for the gender inequality pay gap. Establishing Transparent Pay Practices: Setting the procedures and supports for the pay policies and impartiality with rewarding the employees with fair and equal pay. The manager will focus on these standards here and explain that the amount of remuneration will be based on the tasks completed, a team member’s qualifications, and the period of employment.
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion: Inclusion and tolerance in a workplace can accomplish the objective of eradicating gender discrimination and offering equal opportunities to everyone, with no gender differences. It is a multifaceted effort that includes a diversity and inclusion program, enterprise-wide leadership development initiatives and career development support for underrepresented populations. Conducting Pay Equity Audits: Regularly running a pay equity review where it serves to watch and correct any inequalities in the form of remunerations. Therefore, it includes looking at the salary structure, finding out where the glaring problems are, and applying suitable measures in order to resolve the identified issues.
Providing Advocacy and Employee Support: Staff should be able to report any case of discrimination or inequality and make sure the claims are listened to and taken seriously and appropriate and careful actions have been taken. This comprises, to a great extent, the formulation of complaint mechanisms and the support of workers who are discriminated against, intentionally or not, or are subject to unequal pay—encouraging Collaboration and Accountability: Campaigning for a partnership among private companies, public offices, and advocacy groups that play a role in eliminating the pay disparities and gender inequalities. It is a duty to make sure these employers who set the pay prices are accountable and follow the laws of fair pay.
In conclusion, these result from initiatives like diversity training, hiring policy, and non-discrimination policy. Discrimination in the workplace cannot be discounted here. Organizations should remove the barriers and promote equal chances for employees to ascend to ensure that every team member, regardless of their background, has an opportunity to grow. It eventually leads to creating an environment in which those with different origins and backgrounds feel valued and empowered to offer their best. Ultimately, it turns into a workplace full of life, and everybody is welcome.
References
Abbott Watkins, T. (2018). The Ghost of Salary Past: Why Salary History inquiries perpetuate the gender pay gap and Should be ousted as a factor other than sex. Minn. L. Rev., 103, 1041.
Calvin, A., Bowes, A., Carrick, S., & Pope, S. (2022). The price of success: Equal pay and the U.S. women’s national soccer team. Soccer & Society, 23(8), 920–931.
Equal pay for equal work. (2019). Ontario.ca. https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/equal-pay-equal-work
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2023). Equal Pay/Compensation Discrimination | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Www.eeoc.gov. https://www.eeoc.gov/equal-paycompensation-discrimination
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