What if a man makes less than a woman?

Question

I am a man, and at my company I make less than a woman who sits right next to me and does the same exact job. Should I sue for gender discrimination?

I asked for a raise and got it. Closed the gap but still make less. I wouldn't say she's better than me, but I give her props for being a good worker.

That's my complaint - what if by chance I was the one making more? Would you give me the benefit of the doubt that I had more experience, more skills, was a good worker, etc? Would I get my props, or would you immediately cry discrimination? Be honest.

Answer 1

"what if by chance I was the one making more? Would you give me the benefit of the doubt that I had more experience, more skills, was a good worker, etc? Would I get my props, or would you immediately cry discrimination? Be honest."

Congratulations, you've just discovered a significant cultural bias against males.

My advice would be to enter into discussions with the female if you can about your work, qualifications, pay and any negotiations that occurred to obtain that pay.

Only after these discussions can you decide whether or not the pay discrepancy is a result of gender discrimination or not. It is the fact that these discussions are required to identify gender discrimination that make it so difficult to prove when it is occurring.

If you do conclude that the pay differential is a result of gender discrimination then you probably should sue although only subsequent to initial talks with your manager about the situation in a non-aggressive manner. It may be a misunderstanding or it may be solvable out of court which is always preferable than going to court.

Best of luck.

Answer 2

No, what if you were making more than her should she sue? There might certain reasons why she is making more. Here at where I work we get merit raises based on our performance so I would not play the discrimination card. Have you been working there for same amount of time as her?

See for so many years men were supposed be the bread winners and make more, now it has changed, this is a new day and age we live in. If it makes you feel better there are plenty of men I work with that get paid more than I do. I am not running to my lawyer. If you feel you have a good case then talk to a lawyer but being angry because she is woman making more than you is not going to win your case. You have to have proof of the discrimination.

Answer 3

No, you don't know her full story or if she has more education or experience than you, or not to be mean, but maybe she is more into the efforts of the job than you. You shouldn't know her salary, that is why people don't talk salary. This is an issue many have questions about except it is a statistical fact that women are generally paid less then men with same experience, qualifications, etc... it is a continual battle and still nothing is done about it. But don't assume anything until you have all of your facts and when you do, maybe approach your supervisor for a raise.

Answer 4

It really depends on how secure he is. The Macho thing is a very bad disease. One of the bad things some women do is to urge the man to work harder - this will turn most men off faster than you can comprehend - sorta like a man telling a woman to lose a few pounds or he will not find her attractive anymore...

Because it is different from normal society, it is a mine-field, but a well-adjusted man can handle it with no problems... If your guy has problems, then you probably need new guy - that sort of probglem is not going to go away, and "counseling" ain't gonna work - sorry...

Answer 5

No, because you don't know why she is making more. Maybe she has more qualifications that you or more educational experience or maybe she is bi-lingual or whatever. With the frivolous lawsuits out here today there is no company that is going to risk a lawsuit especially one that is so expensive. Plus would you want to continue working for the company that you sued? If not who would you use for a reference? Get over it dog.

In that type of lawsuit all the men in the company will have to make less than all the women for it to be a case worth fighting for. Plus no lawyer would take your case.

Answer 6

First, was she hired before you? Because if she was, she will sooner or later get a raise, wouldn't you want one too after a while? Second - It is a policy at most companies that your pay is confidential and should not be discussed with anyone. Good Luck in searching your Answer.

Answer 7

Are you sure that she does the SAME exact job?
Anyway, it isn't safe to go around the office and tell people how much you make. If she asked you how much you make and then you told her she could be lying just to get inside of your head. Yahoo wrote a story about the dangers of telling co-workers about your salary so I suggest reading it.

Answer 8

There might be a perfectly good reason the woman makes more, like maybe she has more experience or has been there longer. Why have such a conniption so early in the game? If you want a raise, try talking to your boss first.

Answer 9

Has she been there the same amount of time as you? Are you sure you do exactly the same thing?

If the answers are both yes, then welcome to our world. You can certainly ask why you don't make the same amount of money as the lady next to you but tread lightly as money is never an easy subject to talk about and the answer may not be what you want to hear.

Good luck!

Answer 10

of course not. Work harder and EARN a raise. No one is owed higher pay. You EARN higher pay.
Work harder than you have ever worked before, and then you can ask your boss for a raise. He will then decide if you are worth a raise. If he doesnt think you are worth a raise you have a choice. You can continue to work there, or quit.
It seems people dont realize that you choose and set your own pay when you agree to work for that pay.