The Problem: The Case of the Troubling Inquiry

At lunch one day a friend, who is an excellent mid-level scientist in the company in which you work, tells you she wants to talk with you about a problem. She has a suspicion that she is being paid less that her male colleagues and wants your help. You have just been doing some research and know that the women scientists are in fact being paid less than the men with comparable experience and comparable education in the field. The hiring practice had been to bring people in at the lowest possible salary. You know that the research shows that because women tend to be more tentative about salary, they don't ask for top dollar. You have just completed a salary survey in your company and know that women scientists are currently being paid 10% less then men with the same credentials in many cases. Your preliminary work indicates that to bring the women into parity with the men will cost approximately $37,500 per quarter.

My decision: Do not give up any information about your research. Go to your CEO with your research and state that someone is inquiring about the issue. Make a recommendation for increasing salaries to avoid a lawsuit.