Gender Pay Discrimination

[Tdbh]

What is the name of your state? TX

I am currently in a position that does not reflect my job duties. When it has been brought up to HR I am told that since my job description has “and other duties” and my title contains the word Assistant I will never get the title change and compensation.

I have worked for two separate people under this title and both have fought to have my title changed and pay increased. Both times HR got involved and would not allow the change.

My reasoning for feeling that this is discrimination is that in my company women have over 90% of assistant roles. These jobs underwent the Towers Watson years ago and were all lumped in together under a few position titles. Assistant roles are paid by the level of the executive that is supported. The job duties are vastly different in each department. I am responsible for managing multiple budgets, reports, training, etc. Another person with the same or higher title and pay could only be responsible for meeting requests and ordering lunch. I do not manage a calendar or any typical assistant duties.

I find it discriminatory that instead of having the correct title and compensation these roles are viewed as one in the same. I have been told by another executive that my working title is different than my actual but when I ask for the compensation and title change it is ignored.

My question is does this sound like discrimination? Is this even worth mentioning? I would really like to keep my job but it appears nothing will change. In the near future I will be meeting with HR and several others including the person I assist to discuss my title and duties. What should I do or say?

If it makes a difference this is in the public sector.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Shadowbunny]

What is the name of your state? TX

I am currently in a position that does not reflect my job duties. When it has been brought up to HR I am told that since my job description has “and other duties” and my title contains the word Assistant I will never get the title change and compensation.

I have worked for two separate people under this title and both have fought to have my title changed and pay increased. Both times HR got involved and would not allow the change.

My reasoning for feeling that this is discrimination is that in my company women have over 90% of assistant roles. These jobs underwent the Towers Watson years ago and were all lumped in together under a few position titles. Assistant roles are paid by the level of the executive that is supported. The job duties are vastly different in each department. I am responsible for managing multiple budgets, reports, training, etc. Another person with the same or higher title and pay could only be responsible for meeting requests and ordering lunch. I do not manage a calendar or any typical assistant duties.

I find it discriminatory that instead of having the correct title and compensation these roles are viewed as one in the same. I have been told by another executive that my working title is different than my actual but when I ask for the compensation and title change it is ignored.

My question is does this sound like discrimination? Is this even worth mentioning? I would really like to keep my job but it appears nothing will change. In the near future I will be meeting with HR and several others including the person I assist to discuss my title and duties. What should I do or say?

If it makes a difference this is in the public sector.

Thanks in advance for your help!

It may be discriminatory, but it's not illegal discrimination. Illegal discrimination means you're being treated differently because of your race, ethnicity, gender, religious beliefs, etc. But just because the majority of the employees with the title of "assistant" are women doesn't mean there's a gender-issue at play.

 

[Tdbh]

Would a better wording be job title inequality? I have a job description that was sent to me 3 grades higher than my title but it is the same duties.

Do you have any advice how I could make my case for a new title without mentioning discrimination?

 

[eerelations]

Where did that job description come from? If outside your company, then it's legally irrelevant.

Please note that gender pay laws address pay only. They're not interested in job titles.

 

[cbg]

There are no laws regarding job titles. Your job title is what your employer says it is. There is little to no legal significance to job titles unless you can show evidence, and I do mean sufficient evidence to stand up in court, that the sole reason your title contains the word "assistant' is that you are female.

 

[HRZ]

My view of large bureaucratic organizations is I have no doubt that some titles get pegged to certain grades and certain support roles are pegged as a grade XX even if the duties under one particular boss(s) are a whole lot more demanding of time and skills . And if a department head is " entitled" to an admin assistant level B and all such are pay grade 10 ....and somebody in HR is keeping the boat stable in the big picture . Just as soon as one exception is made there will be requests /demands for 10 more...and nobody wants to open that can of worms .

How to get grades changed in a large organization is a bit of a local art form and apparently your two bosses lack the skills or organizational clout or priority to master the local art form .
And in part, reporting to two bosses in my opinion makes the exercise of local art just a bit more difficult .

( I've been places where the size of your rug and type of wastebasket is an orchestrated matter and whether your office or your bosses office has 1 window or 2 is a major mark )

In my view this is not about discrimination by sex ...but other factors about job grade structures in large organizations and "politics"

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

My reasoning for feeling that this is discrimination is that in my company women have over 90% of assistant roles.

As has been mentioned title means nothing. But if the title is tied to a pay rate and the employer is systematically keeping women in a lower paid title there may be sex based discrimination.

To clarify I'd like to ask the @Tdbh if there are men with the better title and associated higher pay doing the same or similar job to you and the other women listed and paid as assistants? Also, are men promoted out of the assistant position at a higher rate than women?

 

[Tdbh]

Where did that job description come from? If outside your company, then it's legally irrelevant.

Please note that gender pay laws address pay only. They're not interested in job titles.

The other title I found is from within my organization. When it was mentioned to HR they said it was created specifically for that department. From my understating the title doesn’t matter but the job duties do and they are the same.

 

[cbg]

You have still not described anything that suggests illegal discrimination.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

You have still not described anything that suggests illegal discrimination.

Even when asked and admittingly leading question that would have done it in post #8..

 

[HRZ]

I get it that an organization can have one job classification disproportionately filled with women and paid less than a darn similar one disproportionately filled with men and paid better , but to address if this is illegal sex discrimination is going to take a lot of expensive legal talent and piles of statistics , just for starters .

You might be better off to seek personal advancement by other steps , perhaps a different role in said firm .

 

[Tdbh]

I get it that an organization can have one job classification disproportionately filled with women and paid less than a darn similar one disproportionately filled with men and paid better , but to address if this is illegal sex discrimination is going to take a lot of expensive legal talent and piles of statistics , just for starters .

You might be better off to seek personal advancement by other steps , perhaps a different role in said firm .

I appreciate your feedback. I believe you are right and my best option is to find other employment.

 

[xylene]

I would really like to keep my job but it appears nothing will change.

Why do you want to keep the job?

 

[cbg]

So you're going to leave a job you like because they won't change your title? ONE other department has chosen to align their titles differently and because your department refuses to do the same, you're going to quit?

And just how exactly do you know how the person in the other department is paid?

Boy, have you got a lot to learn.

 

[Zigner]

The OP feels that, with the new title comes a higher wage. In the public sector, that may actually be true. I don't think the OP would care what her title was if she had the higher wage that she feels is appropriate for her duties. The OP is free to seek other employment that will compensate her at a level that she feels is appropriate.