Prudie's advice to the woman who is making less than her identical intern male colleague I think is a little naive. First, I think the woman should be cautioned to look into what the company's policy about sharing pay checks are, because some companies prohibit that.

Secondly, while the right thing to do would be to make a stand, she fears that she's going to make waves even before she starts a career. I think she's in a terrible situation because I think she can rightly fear -- as a lowly intern -- that if she raises this issue the company will dump her. She's an intern! On the other hand, it's sours my stomach to think she should just sit there and be discriminated against.

Perhaps she should find out if the company has any policies and if any other people have done something similar in the past. ?????

I think Prudie got the order of this advice backward. I suspect the LW would get farther talking to her internship administrator/professor first so that she could know their position when she talked to the company.

If the company likes the cheap labor of the internships, they may want to keep their relationship with the college on a good footing.

While gender discrimination is a problem, I think people are often far too quick to jump to the conclusion that pay differences between men and women in similar occupations are due to gender bias. The LW notes that she and her male counterpart have a similar amount of experience and seem to have a similar academic background. However, the quality of their experience may be quite different. In addition, her male colleague may have come to the company with excellent recommendations from former employers or professors.

Although I don't know the details of their occupation or industry, I think it's a bad idea to request raises when your only justification is that so and so makes more money than me. It's an even worse idea to imply as Prudie suggests that the pay differences are due to discrimination. That is a loaded word that immediately puts people on the defensive for fear of litigation. I believe the better course of action is to work hard, take initiative, and perform well on assignments, then use evidence of your performance to justify a pay increase. Employers usually respond favorably to this approach and in the rare occasions that they don't, if you are good at what you do, there are usually competitiors that would be willing to meet your demands and hire you away.

b_r:

Prudie's advice to the woman who is making less than her identical intern male colleague I think is a little naive. First, I think the woman should be cautioned to look into what the company's policy about sharing pay checks are, because some companies prohibit that.

Secondly, while the right thing to do would be to make a stand, she fears that she's going to make waves even before she starts a career. I think she's in a terrible situation because I think she can rightly fear -- as a lowly intern -- that if she raises this issue the company will dump her. She's an intern! On the other hand, it's sours my stomach to think she should just sit there and be discriminated against.

Perhaps she should find out if the company has any policies and if any other people have done something similar in the past. ?????

This was my first reaction to this also. But the funny thing is, it's this way of thinking that is keeping women paid less. I just read an article recently talking about pay differences and the number one reason that women are paid less is because they think of the entire situation and convince themselves out of it while the guys just go for it.

danam:

I just read an article recently talking about pay differences and the number one reason that women are paid less is because they think of the entire situation and convince themselves out of it while the guys just go for it.

The author of that article sounds like an idiot. The number one reason women are paid less is because men still see them as being worth less. Point blank.

The good news is that, while this paradigm may not change as quickly as we'd like it to, the power structure is changing a bit more rapidly. Women are entering the professional work force at a higher rate than ever. My wife just graduated Pharmacy school and nearly 60% of that class was women- sure just one anecdotal instance, right? Women are becoming the majority in plenty of fields that will ultimately result in them holding the eight ball. The women are moving upwards by leaps and bounds. Personally, I am glad to see it and can't wait until the statistic reads that men, on average get paid less than women.

Why would you want to work for a company that you KNOW discriminates?

She should talk to Career Services. They can evaluate the two interships (since they go through that office) and deal with the company. If the two have the exact same qualifications and experience the internship director can then correct the "mixup" on pay. Career Services can help her get a different internship at a different comapny as well if the discriminator won't rectify the situation. Her reputation will be fine if the university does the negotiating with HR. Her supervisor won't be in it at all.

I should have said that it was the author's opinion on why women are paid less. It struck a chord with me, though and sounded reasonable. It's probably one of the top reasons why there is a pay difference.

OIF - Overt discrimination also makes up part of the difference. But you can't say that it's the only reason. Someone on another thread mentioned a very similar situation as the LW but she was paid more than her (male) colleague just because she asked for more in the interview.

I, for one, am not waiting for the day that women are paid more than men. I know there will always be discrimination but I try to hope for true equality. I am not sitting around, wishing that just because I am in a discriminated group now that the tides will change someday so I can discriminate against another group.

Danam,

I am retiring in a couple of months. The wife will be the main bread winner- I say power to the women.

I'm not hoping the women make more so they can give their male cohorts a taste of their own medicine. I just think that it is inevitable and don't have a problem with it.

I also read the other thread you mentioned. But, I still say the good ol' boys club is hanging on to the power like it's the last bottle of Viagra.

That was me - the one offered more than the male candidate. Funny thing - I turned that job down, took one at the same pay but with a shorter commute in what I thought seemed like a more recession-proof company. The position I turned down was offered to another male classmate who asked for the same salary I had been offered. He got it. So I know there was no gender bias going on. They just liked assertive people.

As it turned out, I made the right choice. The company they chose was indeed bought out about a year ago while my firm is still holding their own and remaining independent and solvent. (We're a luxury profession in many ways, so looming recessions and slow-downs in development and construction can hit us pretty hard.)

LOL OIF! :)

I really enjoy reading your posts even if I don't agree sometimes!

This inequalty in pay reminded me of something that happened to a friend of mine. My friend held a Department Head position for about 3 months then changed to another position (this is in retail). The Department Head position came with a raise, about $.50 or so. About a month or two after she left the Department Head position she lost the raise because her supervisor complained. Her supervisor did not like the fact that my friend was making more money then her. (My friend's company does not have a policy that takes away a raise gained through a position. But since then the company has made a policy that requires a person to stay in a position for 6 months before changing.) Perhaps what will happen with the young woman and her co-worker is not that the young woman will gain a $1/hr raise but instead her co-worker will lose a $1/hr. This is not to say that she should not talk to her instituation.

There are many things missing from the letter that may explain why the male counterpart makes more than her. Gender discrimination is probably not even the issue here.

You get what you ask for. Perhaps the male negotiated a higher salary? Women are often taught to be grateful for what they are given, while males are taught to strive for more. Sexist, I know, but it's the truth.

I think this girl should ask her male coworker if he negotiated for a higher rate. If he says he did, she has no one to blame but herself.