Aniela Unguresan, Founder of the EDGE Certified Foundation participated yesterday, 10 May 2023, in a White House Roundtable discussion on the importance of working with the private sector and companies of all sizes to advance fair pay practices and strategies.
The event was hosted by the Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein and Assistant to the President, Senior Advisor to the President, and Director of the Office of Public Engagement Stephen Benjamin, who invited Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management Rob Shriver, private sector employers (such as executives from Microsoft, Mastercard, and Salesforce), and equal pay experts (such as EDGE Certified Foundation, JUST Capital, and OpenComp), to discuss why pay equity is good for business.
The participants emphasized that policies and practices that promote pay equity are not just good for workers—they’re good for businesses’ bottom lines. Policies aimed at promoting workplace equity, including equal pay, help promote workforce inclusivity, worker retention, and a culture of transparency and trust which, in turn, lowers costs related to recruitment, hiring, and training.
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment that the Federal government serve as a model employer, the Office of Personnel Management announced a proposed rule to advance pay equity for Federal workers that would prohibit the use of a job applicant’s prior salary history when making hiring decisions and setting pay for Federal employees. This newest step to eliminate discriminatory pay practices addresses an issue that can contribute to and compound wage gaps for women workers and workers of colour.
Participants agreed that leaders in both the private and public sector have a part to play in ending discriminatory pay practices that lead to wage gaps, and committed to partnering together to adopt policies that are good for workers and good for business. Administration officials underscored the importance of leading on these issues by example, thanked the participants for their leadership, and reaffirmed the White House’s commitment to pay equity.
EDGE Certification offers organizations an opportunity to proactively measure and redress discriminatory pay practices in their workplaces. To start your EDGE Certification journey or to learn more about the process, book your demo with EDGE Empower®.
