Baked Alaska is considered to be one of the most labor- and time-intensive desserts you could make. Notwithstanding the meringue and scratch-made ice cream, the baking of the delicate sponge cake must be perfectly timed in order for the dessert to hold up in the oven. So imagine putting in all of the eggs, sweat, and tears to pull it off, only to find a hole where merengue should be.

OK, this isn’t really about dessert, is it?

Like this culinary tragedy, women who work full-time in the United States are finding gaping holes in their paychecks every month – simply because of their gender. According to a report from the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), women in the U.S. are making 84 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make. The gender wage gap is even larger for mothers, women of color, and those in the LGTBQ+ community, who make anywhere from 57 to 67 for every dollar their male, non-hispanic counterparts take home.

This is unacceptable. When we talk about the importance of belonging and your staff feeling valued, this is a huge part of making that happen. If our team is our most valuable asset, how can we say we’re investing well when these wage gaps are present? 

As leaders, it’s not enough to simply be aware these gaps exist – we need to be active in eradicating them in our organizations. 

We should also demand and support the strengthening of equal pay laws, both in our state and across the country.

Right now, the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls (CCSWG) is challenging businesses across the state to take the Equal Pay Pledge. Will you stand with Bright Places and countless other organizations in your commitment to ending wage discrimination?

Want to learn more?

• A Guide to Pay Equity Analysis, Lucidchart
• What Can I do to Promote a Culture of Pay Equity, CCSWG
• Equal Pay for Equal Work, U.S. Department of Labor