Question

1. In the continuing debate over employment policies and ethics, what is the significance of comparable worth?
2. Could it be a practical way to make men’s and women’s median earnings more equal?
3. Please research the issue, take a “yes” or “no” position, and give me no more than two double-spaced pages Times New Roman font 12 of thoughtful and supported conclusions -- which you are prepared to discuss – no later than Friday 19th April 2019.

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Plagiarism is Strictly Prohibited

Answer 1

Solution –

Comparable worth is a pay equity concept – A principle that men and women should be given equal compensations for tasks requiring comparable skills, responsibilities and efforts. Comparable worth was coined in the year 1970 by employment services reformers and the main objective was to correct the inequalities in payment and compensations between men and women.

The Equal Pay Act – 1963 was also endorsed by this concept of comparable worth. Pay equity laws in many countries also strive to achieve comparable worth. Comparable worth is a tool used in many areas –

1. Looked upon as a women empowerment tool
2. Bring inclusion in the work environment
3. Motivating the employees
4. Improving fairness in the work environment

Now there are two views to comparable worth.

1. This view denounces the concept of comparable worth and gives this comparable worth a way to curb the free markets. This thought process promotes the fact that it is the right of an organization to choose how much should be paid to a person for his services and that efforts applied to a service or in a job are not comparable. The other contention of this thought is that there are times when men are paid variable wages. Then what happens to the comparable worth concept in such a case. This thought process presses on the fact that this concept is gender bent and in the process of equity pay we sometimes end up paying more for a service than what is fair.
2. The other view supports the concept of comparable worth and endorses the fact that the women have in general been suppressed and been paid unequally for jobs that require the same specifics. This view proposes that the fairest way of salary rate is when it is paid irrespective of gender and this school of thought finds protection under various equity payment laws.

Now the question here is that if comparable worth is even possible. Many HR institutes and financial revolutionists have come up with their theories and some of them are –

1. Have salary slabs so that the principle of equity pay is promoted.
2. Have fixed increments as per designations so that comparable worth is endorsed
3. The difference in payments must be due to specific tangible and quantifiable reasons and not just gender.
4. The job specifications can be quantified so as to arrive at the comparable worth of each job.

Again the question remains on how practical this is. My research concludes the following –

Comparable worth is an honorable concept and must be followed but there are many businesses in the world and comparable worth cannot be applied to all businesses. A person who drives an airplane cannot be given the same payment as the person who works on as a ground staff in the same grade. At some place the risks and the nature of job that is undertaken dictates the amount of payment that needs to be made and also signifies the difference. The business word is not about being a man’s world but it is about being practical and have the best person on the job irrespective of gender or other personal classifications.