I don't pretend to know everything there is to know about politics. I understand that politicians know much more than I do, and that they have a very tough job on their hands. However, sometimes I feel like they really have no clue what it is that they're doing. The Times have reported that the UK government is outlining plans for a new Equalities Bill that will promote equality at work.
While I agree that stopping pensioners being denied NHS treatment because of their age and giving mothers the right to breastfeed in public is the right thing to do is the right thing to do, I still disagree with other elements of The Bill.
The Times explain that:
"The new Equalities Bill is expected to order public sector employers to disclose levels of pay to both sexes in their organisation, to cast light on the pay gap between men and women."
"...encourages companies to favour female and ethnic minorities candidates if there is tiebreak for a job vacancy"
There is no arguing that the "pay gap between men and women averages 17 per cent across all employees, rising to 45 per cent in the City of London". While most of us all know that and are enraged by it, there are still women out there who like to ignore it and think that they're being paid just fine and equally to the men around them. However, considering that aside from the usual office gossip, it's nearly impossible for us to know exactly who is being paid what, especially as a quarter of all companies include a gagging clause in their contracts that forbid the discussion of wages.
To make it mandatory that everyone knows what everyone else is making is opening a toxic can of worms. While a gagging clause does make it rather handy to keep women in the dark when their male colleagues make more than they do, I don't feel that making everyone else's pay common knowledge the way to go.
While this would put more pressure on companies to be fair about pay from day one, I fear the gossip, pettiness and competition that would erupt because of the everyone's salary being common knowledge would greatly disrupt the workplace. Shouldn't employers know to pay fairly, regardless of race and gender by now? If you pay fairly in the first place, doesn't that take away the need for gossip? What year is this!?
This brings me to the issue of the government encouraging employers to favor female and ethnic minorities candidates when there is a tie break for a job vacancy. What ever happened to hiring the person that is most qualified for that particular position? Of course people who are against this bill say it's discriminating against white men, and those for it say that white men already have the upper hand in these situations. No two candidates are exactly alike. Choose the person that is most qualified. Put some more thought into it. It shouldn't just come down to what color a person's skin is, or if they have two X chromosomes.
Personally, I would be incredibly uncomfortable being hired for a position because I was a woman. Do we want favors handed to us? Absolutely not. I want to be hired for a job because I am the best, and am the most qualified. Not because it came down to me and a man, and they had to pick me because I was the girl. Are you joking?? That is not equality.
I understand the thought process behind this. I understand that government understands that clearly, misogyny and discrimination are still a huge problem in the work place and that changes need to be made. I appreciate that at least they understand that much.
Saying that, I still feel the solutions they have come up with are flawed, and wrong.
Equality Minister Harriet Harman explains that:
"There might be controversy but you don't get progress if there isn't a bit of a push forward. Most women are going out to work and they are just as committed to their jobs. The money that they earn is important to the household budget so they should be paid fairly."
Harman, I agree that you don't get progress unless you push forward, but I just feel you push forward in all the wrong ways. Wasn't Harman the same person that wanted to outlaw prostitution as a way of ending sex trafficking? Seems to me she can easily see the problems, but comes up with foolish answers.
Cate Sevilla is a freelance writer in London and regular contributor to Dollymix.