It is 2018 at yet; women are still not paid equal to men for the same jobs. Do you find yourself stuck in such an issue? We have brought you things you can do to stand for demanding your equal rights.

Make sure your issue is valid

There is a chance you compared your pay to a male colleague and found out that you’re being paid way less than him. However, before you make any claims or take any steps, ensure that you’re making a fair comparison. Double-check to make sure that you and that male colleague have the same job responsibilities. Is the difference in pay due to different job descriptions or is it solely based on a gender difference? If the case is the latter option, proceed with the steps.

Explore and research

You can’t really go around your office asking your other colleagues about their salaries. To make a valid statement, you’ll need to have strong backing. For this, you can research around other workplaces and online too. This way you’ll find out if your pay is near the average pay scale in the industry. If that is not the case, either your workplace is offering low wages for everyone, or it is because of gender bias. For further assistance in such a scenario, proceed to the next step.

Confront your employer

It is your legal right as an employee of any workplace to question the employer in case of low pay. Whether that is because of gender bias or a general small payment, you can find that out by talking to your boss. Write a professional application demanding an explanation for the difference in pays of people performing the same duties.

Demand details

Another thing you can do in your office is to talk to the HR department. Discuss your issue, and you might get an explanation. There is a chance your pay could get a raise too. Sometimes, employers do disclose pay details in such scenarios. You’ll be able to see information regarding who is getting paid what and for what duties. If you think the pay distribution isn’t fair or if the males are getting a privilege, you can take things further in case the employer disagrees to any negotiation.

The legal side

As per the Equality Act 2010, all men and women have a right to equal pay for equal work. If you find your salary to be low due to gender inequality, you can demand your employer to fix the issue. If the problem isn’t resolved inside the office, you can take things to a legal level. You can claim with Equal Pay or Employment Tribunal.

The time has gone when it was hard for women to stand for themselves. Today, it is all females’ duty to be aware of their rights and demand them. Do not be afraid. Stand for yourself today so that the tomorrow of all women can be secured.