REALIZING THE DREAM: EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Should companies have total freedom in choosing the employees who they hire?

Employment Ad from 1968 Newspaper

White waitress needed, salary $60 per wk plus tips. Contact Mr. Charlie of Connor’s Restaurant 2659 North Broadway.

Employment Ad from 1968 Newspaper

Male Help Wanted:

Married man to assist branch manager, also to service our equipment and learn sales work. Could mean doubling your previous income. Earning opportunity $120 per week while learning. Call for personal interview, days 828-5405

Employment Ad from 1968 Newspaper

Female Help Wanted:

Waitress full or part time. Experience not necessary as we will train. Stephen’s Dinner. Downtown Blvd.

Wanted, settled white lady to work nights in a rest home. Some experience and transportation. 787-3320

White waitress needed, salary $60 per wk plus tips. Contact Mr. Charlie of Connor’s Restaurant 2659 North Broadway.

History: Job Ads and Gender

In the early 1960s, job ads would appear separately according to sex. Higher paying jobs would be listed like this: “Help Wanted: Male.” While women’s jobs—oftentimes advertising for the identical position—would appear as “Help Wanted: Female,” but with a wage, typically about half of what men earned doing the exact same job.

What are the federal laws prohibiting job discrimination?

Fair Labor Standards Act of 1963Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) is part of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which protects men and women who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 1964Title VII of The Civil Rights act made it unlawful for any employer to discriminate on the basis of sex, religion, or race. As part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was formed to eliminate discrimination in the workplace . The legislation behind the EEOC made want ads like these illegal.

Employment Ads from 2013

Database Administration (Entry Level )As a Database Administrator- Specialist, you will be responsible for providing database support to maintain infrastructure and work with clients to implement solutions.

Computer Science Bachelor Degree Good communication and interpersonal skills. 　 　 Programming and/or Scripting skills A team player with positive attitude

We are an EOE employer

Employment Ads from 2013

Administrative AssistantPosition Qualifications Include:

High School Diploma or GED equivalent required, Associates Degree or higher preferred.

• At least 3 years of experience in construction administration required.

• Ability to demonstrate a basic knowledge of Microsoft Office required.

• Be able to work in a rapid paced work environment and interact effectively in a professional and courteous manner with departmental staff and visitors.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills required.

We are proud to be an EEO. Employment is subject to a background check.

Wage Comparison

Overall full-time wage comparison between men and women in the U.S.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Reports, ACS-09, Income Earnings, and Poverty Data from the 2007 American Community Survey

Race/Gender Earnings Wage Ratio

White Men $47,113 100%

White Women $35,542 75.4%

Black Men $35,652 75.7%

Black Women $31,035 65.0%

Hispanic Men $29,239 62.1%

Hispanic Women $25,454 54.0 %

Overall full-time, year- around working employees across race and gender in 2007.

Year Women Men Dollar Difference

Percent

1960 $16,144 $26,608 $10,464 60.7%

2011 $37,118 $48,202 $11,084 77%

Wage comparison between men and women in the same job positions in 2009

• Women in professional and related occupations earned 26% less than their male counterparts.

• Female elementary and middle school teachers earned 14% less than similarly employed men.

• Female physicians and surgeons earned 36% less than their male counterparts.

• Female college and university teachers earned 15% less than those who were male.

• Female lawyers earned 25% less than male lawyers.

Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Table 37, “Median weekly earningsof full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics ”, 2010.

What role does the government have in protecting people’s labor rights?

Let’s look at the role that the legislative, judicial, and executive branch played in passing the Lilly Ledbetter Act of 2009.