In Hollywood, there is a name for it: The Hollywood Pay Gap. Big stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep and Beyoncé fight against their unequal wages. Jennifer Lawrence became very popular in‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Silver Linings Playbook’,yet in her following role ‘American Hustle’–and the same goes for the co-star Amy Adams – 2% less in salary than their male counterparts – Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale.
“A typical example”, says Belle Derks, professor of social and organizational psychology at the University of Utrecht. How can this be? “The classic qualities that we associate with men and women have been the same for years: men are more decisive and take more risks, women are more friendly and caring”.
“Men are judged on their skills, therefore we expect men to negotiate harder”, Derks explains. “A woman should not only be competent, but also friendly. When women negotiate hard, it is often thought: What is going on? Why are you so unkind?
Negotiation Coach Jeanette De Haas recognizes this problem. According to her women think quickly: “I have to prove myself first before I demand more money”. Especially in servile occupations women have more trouble withcoming up for themselves. De Haas: “A nurse or teacher chooses his or her profession often not because of the salary, but to help people”.
How to Negotiate
Luckely you can learn to negotiate. “Prepare yourself for it”, advises De Haas. “And think what you want to achieve. Convince yourself that the ultimate goal is not just for yourself but alsoas an example for another example. If I work more hours, I lose my motivation and I leave in a short time”.
De Haas also advises to see the negotiation as a game where you can drink fine chocolate with all the winners and losers afterwards.
Be more flexible. “Once women have set a goal, they often push themselves so hard, that they find it difficult to admit if they fail. Accept no, and check your wishs within six months again. You cannot be fired immediately”.
As a final tip: Keep it businesslike. Do not say: “My children never see me!”Instead think of something like:“I find the balance between work and private life challenging, so I would like to cut a day off work”.
Men Are Also Punished
Not only do women suffer from the established roles. Men are just as severely punished if they do not meet the constraints. Derks: “If a man negotiates badly or does not dare to ask for a higher salary, he is seen as a weakling opposed to when a woman does the same”.
Gradually men and women are becoming more equal to each other, and then the negotiations will proceed smoothly. And as long as Beyoncé continues to speak (I am not bossy, I am the boss!),and Jennifer Lawrence asks to be equal to her male counterparts, there is hope.
Top Earners Are Rarely Women
• Part-time yields average less per hour than full-time. Women work more often than men in part-time.
• The pay gap is greatest among workers with children at home, especially in business. There, women earned on average in 2012, 14% less than their male colleagues.
• The pay gap between the top and ordinary employees of the thousand largest companies in the Netherlands has grown again. In 2015, it was gross annual salary of the five top earners by company 6.1 times higher than the salary of the average full-time employees at these companies.
• The pay gap is greatest in the financial services industry and the least in education, healthcare and public administration.
• On top of the payroll men are the majority. One in five top earners in the thousand largest companies in 2015 was a woman (20%)
Sources:
http://www.rtlnieuws.nl
www.cbs.nl
Photo credits: Designed by Katemangostar / Freepik