Microsoft Says Women Earn Same as Men, Steps Up Diversity Plan
Apparently stung by his remarks last week that women shouldn't ask for raises but instead look for "karma," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said he is putting controls in place that will require all employees to attend diversity training workshops to ensure not just equal pay for women but opportunities for advancement regardless of gender or race.
Nadella had quickly apologized for his remarks at last week's Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing in Phoenix but apparently he's putting his money where his mouth is. Microsoft's HR team reported to Nadella that women in the U.S. last year earned 99.7 percent of what men earned at the same title and rank, according to an e-mail sent to employees Wednesday that was procured by GeekWire.
"In any given year, any particular group may be slightly above or slightly below 100 percent," he said. "But this obscures an important point: We must ensure not only that everyone receives equal pay for equal work, but that they have the opportunity to do equal work."
Given the attention Microsoft's CEO brought to the issue over the past week, it begs the question: do women in your company earn the same amount as men for the same job title and responsibilities and have the same opportunities for advancement or is there a clear bias? IT is an industry dominated by men though educators are trying to convince more women to take up computer science.
Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on 10/17/2014 at 12:59 PM