You decide you want a 12 x 12 foot concrete slab patio behind your house. A male contractor recommended to you by a neighbor gives you specs of how much gravel and concrete strength, etc and quotes you $2.000 to do it. Try to haggle him down and tell him that's a bit more than you expected. He doesn't budge, you agree and he does it. You decide that it was only half as big as you really wanted and you want an identical slab right next to it but another neighbor recommended a different contractor and said he got a great deal. You call, a woman shows up and gives you the exact same specs but says it will be $1,500. Do you try to haggle her down? do you agree? Do you tell her no, that in the interest of fair pay you will pay her $2,000?

Women pay more than men for cars because they are not aggressive negotiators. I suspect that to the extent that women make less than men for doing the same work it is for the same reason. How many men here have turned down a first job offer and said that they needed more money, or more vacation time or some other French benefit? How often do women do that?

I am not saying we should do nothing but I think an overt equal pay law is chainsaw surgery that will cause a lot of problems and unwarranted lawsuits. I WOULD like to see something less intrusive like prohibiting employers from asking prospective employees about their salary history.





[Post edited by 81_Hokie at 12/10/2019 10:26PM]