Walmart Equal Pay Act.

Wal-Mart Neglects Equal Pay for Equal Work

America’s discount giant seems to have found some loopholes on the way to success. Wal-Marts labor issue on gender discrimination (citing that women are not paid equal to men for the same work) proves to be a familiar but somewhat credible case. We have heard for years on end that inequality still exists heavily in organizations between different genders. Many Wal-Mart customers may sympathize with the big yellow smiling face that claims to slash prices, but not at the expense of its female employees.

According to a recent article in Northwest Labor Press, journalist Liza Featherstone said that Wal-Mart managers admitted to the unequal treatment of women, and in many cases defending it as fair and just. “Men need to earn more money, the men argued, because they are the family breadwinners, responsible for the support of their wives and kids” (McIntosh, p. 2). As odd as it may sound, from another man’s perspective, I beg to differ. Although, men according to the Bible should be the head of the household, it does not say that they should necessarily make the most money. That is a compromise that should be dealt with domestically and not brought into the workplace.

The statement made by male managers at certain Wal-Mart stores may have carried some weight prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII which dealt with discrimination in employment. Now it does not matter what type of work or even where the work takes place, men and women are to be treated as equal. While looking at a company of Wal-Mart’s size (U.S. largest employer), women make up 72 percent of the workforce, one would think that women had a better chance at receiving promotions, better pay and benefits but only 33 percent of the managers are women and 15 percent are store managers. Female hourly workers make 40 cents less than male hourly workers and female managers make up to $5,000 a year less than male managers (p. 1).

Equal pay for equal...