Hell, lets just make it a law to make every worker in the US get 1 million dollars a year and get the destruction of free markets over with once and for all.

The only reason that anyone gets paid less than anyone else is because they are not negotiating properly or they are not sticking up for themselves. I know when it comes to hiring situations for engineers and computer programmers they are more likely to get the job if they are a woman or a minority, that is a very valuable asset in this current economy and job market!

Simple solution is to allow them to be Union members or form their own Union. How long do you think these CEO's would last without their secretarial staff?

"The fact that women in the same job make only 78 percent of what their male counterparts equal is often considered a problem for women to deal with."

OFTEN CONSIDERED a problem??? Ummm I should say so. But I do agree with taxedtodeath on this one: The only reason that anyone gets paid less than anyone else is because they are not negotiating properly or they are not sticking up for themselves.-----EXACTLY!

As a woman in the workforce, I say "Stand up and don't allow it, otherwise sit down and shut up."

This should be a no-brainer.....and with women in the workforce earning what they deserve (equal wages for equal work), families (children!) will be helped as well. With women earning a better salary ,this would help alleviate some financial strains for families.

This study does not take into account the employes tenure, but I wouldn't expect the BDN editorial page to mention that small fact. Man or Woman, if you have more time working at a company wouldn't you expect to make more money? Woman often lose years out of their careers because of child bearing, no legislatation can fix that, but I'm sure they'll try...just to show "they care".

Yes if we just mandated that people had to be paid more then it would alleviate some financial strains for families. In till the business started to go under and everything tanked. What is wrong with letting businesses pay people what they are worth. Weather you are a man or a woman, if you go into a job, make yourself invaluable, and help the business make a profit then you will get paid. Don't worry about what the guy in the next office is making. If you don't think you are getting what you deserve then negotiate or look somewhere else. If you have been making money for the company then they will pay to keep you. Nobody stops to consider mediocrity government mandated pay would encourage. If your going to get paid a certain amount because the government says so then where is the incentive to do a good job?

such crap they may get paid less but they get hired more because they have more rights as women than men, companies have to hire them to fill quotes so how many less qualified women get hired over men because of a law saying they have to hire fairly, shouldn’t we hire the best person for the job and it should matter whether they are black white male female Latin Spanish Chinese or anything else, let’s make the law fair for all not just more favored for the women.

I am a woman and I say....agreed elmster.

there should be a not behind the should in the previous post. although i trust by the implied tone that most people would understand that.

patom1, let's bring in the union. Just look at the auto industry.

Perhaps those providing comments should do a bit more research. The latest data shows that the pay disparity begins less than one year out of college, well before women take time off to raise children. In nearly all the research done over the past 20 years, after controlling for time off to raise children, experience issues, etc, women are still making less than their male counterparts. The Paycheck Fairness Act doesn't aim to make sure women make the same as men who are more skilled or more educated, or have more time on the job. If you have the same qualifications, skills, education as the guy in the next office, then you should be making the same salary. That isn't always happening. And, this doesn't just affect salary-health and retirement benefits are often calculated off salaries, putting women and their families at a disadvantage for years to come. This is also not just an issue of women not negotiating, or "sticking up for themselves." In situation after situation, when employees do try to ask for equity in salary compensation, they are fired. Who can afford to take that risk in today's economic times? This is a deeply rooted issue regarding the value of women in our society and this law is one step toward ensuring women are treated equitable. It is not meant to take away from the men in our country but to help stick up for our mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, grandmothers and friends. It is the right thing to do.

No one was saying that it should not be based on doing a good job as well. The point is , and was: If 2 people (in this case , a man and a woman) do comparable work; are dedicated, high-performing employees,etc., then , in that case, it would not be fair for the man to earn more just because he is a male. Come on! I , for one, was not advocating that 2 people who obviously do not perform anywhere near on the same level, should be paid the same. The point is, once again: if 2 people both perform superbly and yet the man is paid more just because he is male, that is not acceptable. And it does happen. It won't be easy , but something more equitable in those cases should happen. If this was not prevalent, it would be another story. But it is prevalent and therefore, not acceptable as it now stands.

Right, charminme: It isn't taking away anything from men! I think sometimes that some of these men sound a bit insecure, or they would not react to some pay inequity in the way they do. Yikes!