The size of an employee’s salary is often seen as an indicator of importance within an organization. Thus, when women are paid less than their male counterparts for performing similar work, it suggests that their efforts are somehow of lesser value. In Ontario, we have a number of legal mechanisms that are designed to reduce gender-based wage disparity, however, it remains a reality in far too many workplaces.
Vey Willetts lawyer Paul Willetts was quoted in a recent Yahoo! Finance Canada article considering pay equity in the workplace. The article, Why Canada Ranks a Dismal 30th in Pay Equity, considers pay inequality experienced by women at work, why this phenomenon exists, and what may be done to address it.
In the article, amongst other things, Paul comments on how an individual may wish to raise concerns about salary; noting that "practically speaking, the best thing to do would be to raise the issue in a professional manner with an appropriate person within your organization. Provide your employer an opportunity to respond and correct the situation, or to provide its justification for the differential in pay."
