MGMT 307 – Human Resource Management

While things are getting better, women’s pay still lags men’s pay.  In 1979 full-time working women earned just 62% as much as men.  Today that number is 80%.  And, things look better for younger women.  Women ages 16 – 34 are closer financially to their male counterparts, earning 90% as much in full-time wages.

Experts believe that, in addition to prejudice on the job, women are their own worst enemies when it comes to pay — they tend to underprice and undervalue themselves more so than men.

The real issue with this is that women are frequently flying solo with greater financial demands than men.  The odds of a women getting divorced, becoming widowed or staying single are greater than that for men since men have shorter life spans and do not stay single as long as women do.  Also, women usually end up with the children if they have them.   Two-thirds of US women ages 40 – 79 have already dealt with a major financial “life crisis,” such as job loss, divorce, death of a spouse or serious illness.  Why are women under paid other than for predudicial reasons:  they don’t ask for a raise, don’t negotiate their initial salary, don’t raise their fees if self-employed, avoid being visible at work, and they stay in a job too long.

Her is a case in point.  John and Helen (both 22 years old) get a job and are both offered $25,000.  John negotiates his salary up to $30,000 while Helen accepts the offer.  Assume they both get a 3% raise each year.  When they are 60 years old, John will have earned $361,000 more than Helen.

So what’s the point of this article?

In June of this year the Supreme Court ruled in favor of white firefighters from New Haven, CT.  The court declared that the white firefighters were unfairly denied promotion because of their race, ruling against minorities in a major reverse discrimination case that could affect bosses and workers nationwide.  Interestingly, the court reversed a ruling made by new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor when she was an Appeals Court Judge.  In the case, blacks sought to call the results of an exam in which no blacks scored high enough to be promoted as flawed and prejudiced.  Sotomayor’s court threw out the results, but the white firefighters took it to the supreme court and won.

The Boeing plant in N. Charleston where they make the fuselage for the new “Dreamliner” was unionized about 2 years ago.  Do you know what it takes to have a union voted into a plant?  Well, last week the workers in that plant voted to have the union thrown out of the plant.  Do you know what that means and how it happens?  You will before the end of the semester.

What does it mean if a plant is “unionized?”  How is life for an employee in a unionized plant different from life for an employee in a non-union plant?

Think about what this decision means for the plant and for the Charleston community.  Right now Boeing is deciding where to build the Dreanliner — it’s newest airliner.  With the local plant deciding to go non-union, that makes the Charleston plant a lot more attractive than Boeing facilities in Seattle, Wash.

If the airliner is made here that will mean thousands of new, very high paying jobs for this community.  It also means new support industries will also move into the area.  It also means that education will be impacted as well — these company’s will demand better educated employees.

Workers in the 25 to 34 age group have seen the most dramatic rise in unemployment during the past year.  Their unemployment rate went from 5.7% to 10% in July of 2009.  On top of that, they usually have big bills to pay.  The average undergraduate finishes college with $17,700 in debt if they went to a public school and $22,375 if they went to a private school.  Part of this includes $4,100 in credit card debt.

At present, in order to become unionized — that is, to have a union represent a workforce — 51% of those voting, must vote yes for the union.  That seems fair.  More than half of the workers must want a union before there is a union.  Now, the Obama administration, as pay back for union support during the election, is pushing a bill that would eliminate the employee vote for or against an election.  In other words, if a union decided it wanted to unionize a company — to represent a company’s workforce, all it would have to do is to say we are the representatives of those people.  No election what so ever.  Now that sounds unAmerican.  What do you think?

Nicole Williams,  a writer from Sacramento, CA says most students graduate from college with little else in their closets but t-shirts and flip-flops.  Her point is that most grads are totally unprepared for the professional world — clothing wise.  Here is what she says about dressing for interviews:

• Don’t forget the details:  clip tags from new clothes, remove loose change from pockets, and make sure bra straps and boxers aren’t hanging out.  If you sweat easily, arrive early, don’t put your jacket on until just before the interview and keep a tissue in your pocket to squeeze before shaking hands.
• do your research:  you won’t sound unprepared if you call and ask what to wear to an interview.
• play it safe:  in financial, medical or sales fields, a suit is usually mandatory.  If it’s a tech or design company, “business casual” attire is likely OK.  classic dark colors are always safe.  Avoid zebra prints and stick to solid colors or muted patterns.
• keep it neat:   with your shirt, shoes, and hair, show up to interviews well-groomed.  Tops and shirts should be well pressed with no stains.  shoes should be clean and scuff free.  Lose the facial hair.
• Bye-bye backpack:  Carry a purse, briefcase or portfolio case.  keep loud colors and logos at home.  Bring a pen and paper for notes.  Carry extra copies of your resume.
• jingle, jangle:  stay away from bright nail polish, crazy ties and “bling” jewelry.  Cover tattoos and pop out the nose ring.  Don’t expose too much skin.  Men should wear long-sleeved dress shirts.  Women should avoid too-short skirts and dresses.  Same for sleeveless tops, unless under a sweater or jacket. keep the capris in the closet.  Stay away from body sprays, colognes, and perfumes.

Look here for info about the course before the semester begins. Or send questions about the course that may be on your mind