Weirdstone

And I wasn't talking sexually ...just in case anyone thought.

If I thought a man just believed I would be happy if he brought the money home, and bought me things all the time ...and that's it - I'd be bored as hell.

I want a friend, a lover - a soulmate who considers me an absolute equal...

TiddlyPom

Yes, I studied that briefly at University, but it was spelled differently.



I think that's a convenient get out clause. If women were paid the same as men for the same jobs, there'd be more women choosing the option to go back to work. There's a lot of lip service paid by men who have children to the 'I'd be at home' thing but it's still a rarity when one does it.

TiddlyPom

Indeed... 100% agreement with you there.

BadgeIsBack

Typing quick mate. Cos I have the kids.

Probably because as you say, men earn more so it rarely eventuates - that only a man stays at home - but it does happen - obviously there are stacks of families where both work.

The natural question is why? Surely a woman can do the same job? The only reason is that for someone of age x, with quals of y is that women have acquired less experience or have gaps in their relevant history due to maternity. Vicious circle.

Edit:
Interesting - I haven't heard the argument (or complaint) about same pay for same work in 20 years. I thought it was illegal in many countries. The thing is, its more about the work that people tend to end up doing, and/or the negotiation process.

For example, lets be honest, most tradespeople and some professions are dominated (over 99pc) by men. That's obviously a sociological thing. There are still women out there who do not push themselves into high paid work.

I do know women in IT who are there because they want to be well paid, and take advantage of the fact they are in a relative minority.

Geelong Gent

Work is easier than being at home. I spent 9 months at home (and working a full time role 60 hours per week). No matter how organised you are within 5 mins of having the house spic and span its a disaster area after they wake up.

Unfortuately there are still organisations that don't pay people for there relative worth to the organisation and until such time as those individuals make a noise they will still be overlooked.

TiddlyPom

Ah, the man that's actually gone and done it. Kudos to you Mr GG. Yes, I think that going out to work is easier in many respects.
I also think that it's pretty poor that women who work full time still do the majority of the housework in the shared home. Where's the emotional inteligence in that?

I do believe that women do make a noise about fair pay, but in many organisations, it's done subtly, and many women don't find out until years after being in the job.

TiddlyPom

Indeed, but you're only looking at it one way. What's to stop your wife and you both working part time and both taking the shared responsibility for the house and children? It doesn't have to be an 'either/or' situation.
There's also the 'investment' of getting one partner to brush up skills or education whilst they're at home, supported of course, by the other, so that there isn't a skills gap when it comes to work.

Haven't you? You should have a google. Yes, it's illegal. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Perhaps it is down to negotiation but it's also to do with over looking women because they're female and have families. As I've had to point out to a prospective employer recently, my children have two parents, not just one.
I imagine if he can't get over the fact I have children at the interview stage, we're not going to be working well together! That's ok. I'll just open up my own place down the track and compete. That'll be fun.
Unfair pay happens in all industries, but especially in corporate management surprisingly.

No indeed, but then you look at highly skilled jobs such as nursing and look at the pay. It's undervalued from the get go... It's a sociological thing but also expectations are lower for women, which is a shame.

Absolutely. Good for them.

znaylor1974

I knew it was the money!