Resources for More $ in your Pocket!

If you were not able to join us at Minnesota Business Women's (Un)happy hour on April 30th -- here's what you missed...

On average women in Minnesota make 21 cents less for every dollar a man makes . That’s close to 1 million dollars over a life time. There are many reasons for this phenomenon – today we focus on solutions because we have the power!


Educate Yourself
o www.wageproject.org to calculate what your job is worth in your area.


Practice
o Attend salary negotiation workshops or read any salary negotiation book then practice on a trusted friend. We recommend “Ask For It” by Linda Babcock & Sara Laschever because it is women centered. Workshops are tougher to find unless you are a recent college graduate. Check out Employment Action Center Women’s programs (612) 752-8444 or WIT@resource-mn.org.


Upgrade Your Skills
o Retrain & retool for the future. Attend a RichChicks class – www.richchicks.org. Check out Employment Action Center’s Women’s programs (612) 752-8444
or WIT@resource-mn.org.


Public Policy
o Call Senator Amy Klobuchar (202-224-3244) and Senator Al Franken ((202) 224-5641) and ask them to support the Paycheck Fairness Act. This bill helps close loop holes in the Equal Pay Act that made it difficult for women to win claims of pay discrimination. As a matter of fact only 15% of all discrimination claims are ever won! Patty Tanji, President Pay Equity Coalition of Minnesota’s Advise is: “Do not sue your boss!”


The above acts will help but won’t completely eliminate the gender wage gap until the work of women (that includes caregiving) is considered as valuable as the work of men in our culture – enough so that we are willing to pay for it – all of it!