Joins Equal Pay Task Force and commits resources to App Challenge
WALTHAM, Mass., Jan. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Salary.com announced today its commitment to the Equal Pay Task Force, an initiative launched at the request of President Obama focused on closing the wage gap between the sexes.
"We are honored to help the White House with this initiative and bring more awareness to the issue of equal pay for men and women," said Abby Euler, general manager at Salary.com. "We are proud to be doing our part to help eliminate the wage gap."
For the first time in company history, Salary.com is volunteering its collection of salary data – covering more than 4,000 jobs – for use in the U.S. Department of Labor's Equal Pay App Challenge. The Challenge is open to developers who can use the salary data to create applications that highlight the wage gap and offer solutions with the help of easy-to-use technology.
Salary.com chose to take the unprecedented step of opening up its invaluable salary data at the request of the White House, and because all employees should be educated about compensation levels and fair pay.
"Knowing what your job pays is an integral part of negotiating a fair wage," Euler said.
According to a 2011 Salary.com survey of more than 2,000 people, only 30 percent of women always negotiate following a job offer, compared to 46 percent of men. More than one-quarter of women – 26 percent – said they don't negotiate salary because they lack the necessary skills.
"Understanding earning potential empowers people to make fundamental life decisions – like picking a college, buying a home or retiring early," said Euler. "It's about more than just what women are making – it's about how that affects American families and the next generation of workers."
Visit http://www.salary.com/equal-pay-app-challenge or www.challenge.gov to learn more about how the public and private sectors are coming together to address equal pay issues, and to enter the Challenge.
Wage Inequality Facts:
- According to the Department of Labor, women make 77 cents on the dollar compared to men.
- Women have become the primary or co-breadwinners in two-thirds of all American families, according to the Department of Labor.
- According to statistics from the WAGE (Women Are Getting Even) Project, women stand to lose out on between $700,000 and $2 million over the course of their careers compared to their equally qualified male coworkers.
About Salary.com:
Salary.com provides credible consumer compensation data reported by HR professionals in the most recent, publicly available surveys from well-recognized and highly reputable companies. Salary.com is dedicated to providing people with the tools, advice and data they need to understand and reach their full earning potential. Additional information about Salary.com, founded in 1999, can be accessed at www.salary.com. Follow Salary.com on Twitter:@salary.
SOURCE Salary.com
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