Glass Ceilings

Glass ceiling in Corporate America

Ronald Ryman

Human Resources Management (HR 353)

February 27th, 2010

Glass Ceiling in Corporate America

Ever since 1960’s American corporate world is emphasizing on the maxim equal pay for women. However, even after lapse of such a long period, presently women are still confronting a yawning gap in respect of their salary and job prospects. The same is prevailing when they are engaged in the similar working environments and having similar experience in respect of their male counterparts. With a view to safeguarding the interest of women in terms of the equal pay for same job in the similar environment prohibition of discrimination in terms of sex is imposed by the provisions in “Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and Equal Pay Act of 1963.” (Begley, 2005)

It has been estimated that the earning rate in case of an average American women is only 74 cents in comparison to one dollar that of their male corresponding person. Moreover, women constitute only about 11 percent of all the “corporate officers in the Fortune 500 companies in US.” (Begley, 2005) Irrespective of the fact that such legislations have assisted substantially in safeguarding the interests of the women officers still the problem of inequality persists in corporate America to a great magnitude. It is seen that the women attorneys suffer a loss of about $300 a week in comparison to their male counterparts. This is about $680 a week in respect of women doctors, $245 a week in respect of women professors and $86 per week in case of women school teachers. It is seen that the variation in the pay and prejudice in workplace has tremendous impact on the family life. (Begley, 2005)

The discriminatory treatment of the employers in various manners contributes to the less pay for women. The employers normally attach a lower salary to the jobs generally held by women than the jobs conventionally performed by men. Besides, women could...