42% of Employees Say their Employer Is Not Dedicated to Closing Pay Gaps in New Pay Equity Research by Salary.com and the HR Research Institute

WALTHAM, MA (November 2, 2021) -- Forty-two percent of employees do not think their employer is dedicated to closing pay gaps, according to the 2021 Viewpoint: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, a new survey by Salary.com and the HR.com Research Institute. The research provides insights on views of HR executives vs. those of employees to help understand the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.

The report also found HR pros and employees are not on the same page when it comes to pay equity: only half of surveyed employees (53%) say they are paid equitably or believe their peers are, while a larger proportion of HR professionals (66%) believe their peers are paid equitably. HR professionals and employees are more aligned when it comes to how leadership prioritizes equitable pay: only 17% and 18%, respectively, say it is a top priority among the executives in their organization.

"Pay equity is a fundamental element of the employer-employee relationship, yet 42% of employees surveyed say their employer is not dedicated to closing pay gaps," said Lenna Turner, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and a Compensation Consultant at Salary.com. "At Salary.com, we define pay equity as internally equitable, externally competitive, and transparently communicated. While employers are making progress, a lack of transparent communication could be leading to this employee skepticism when it comes to pay equity."

Addressing Pay Equity
HR respondents (57%) suggest they are more likely to report pay equity issues, which is far more than employees (37%). This may be because HR has more access to the training and the workforce data necessary to uncover discrepancies in pay. Further, while HR professionals report pay equity issues more often, employees are more likely to suffer consequences when reporting these issues (44% vs. 17%)

Budget Breakdown
Fewer than one-quarter of HR professionals say their organization has a formal budget allocated to closing pay gaps. This lack of budget could be the reason why just 33% of HR professionals agree or strongly agree that their organization has the proper tools to detect internal pay gaps.

HR professionals who say their organization's pay equity tools successfully detect internal pay gaps and inequity are more likely to:

• say they themselves and their peers are paid equitably
• have pay equity among different ethnicities/races
• make equitable pay a top priority among executives
• have a formal budget allocated to closing pay gaps
• have employees speak up if they witness or experience workplace discrimination
• have DE&I initiatives that are adequately staffed, funded and measured
• say their organization celebrates diversity

"In the wake of the pandemic, it's even more critical that management and their employees see eye to eye when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Employees value these issues immensely but are not seeing their companies do enough work in this area," stated Debbie McGrath, Chief Instigator and CEO of HR.com. "Employers have to understand that equity is critical for business growth!"

Download the full report which includes details on ten key takeaways to help HR departments gain insights into how to improve diversity and inclusion initiatives to ensure equity in all areas of their workforce management and optimal engagement, productivity, retention, and business results.

About Salary.com®
Salary.com is the leading provider of compensation market data, software, and analytics, bringing more of the trusted data and intuitive software organizations need to get pay right. The industry's fastest-growing compensation management company, Salary.com serves over 30,000 survey participant organizations, over 8,000 business-to-business software subscribers, and over 45 million employees globally. HR professionals rely on Salary.com's 360° view of their compensation practices so they can efficiently and accurately achieve internal pay equity and adapt to market changes. Salary.com's state-of-the-art CompAnalyst® accelerates compensation workflows, delivers real-time data, and powers accurate, equitable, and competitive compensation through one intuitive platform. For more information, please visit https://www.salary.com.

About HR.com and the HR Research Institute
HR.com's HR Research Institute helps HR departments keep their finger on the pulse of HR! HR.com is committed to creating inspired and informed workforces by maximizing the potential of HR professionals around the world. Close to 2 million HR professionals rely on HR.com as the foremost, trusted industry resource for education, career development, and compliance (that many people can't be wrong!). Offerings include the largest network of HR executives, leading-edge industry research from the HR Research Institute, 13 monthly HR-themed epublications, innovative HR education including 250+ annual webcasts, the most comprehensive HR certification exam preparation program supporting SHRM and HRCI certification, as well as helpful HR tools and legal compliance updates. HR.com has the largest knowledge base of HR practices globally and offers unparalleled training and networking for HR professionals all over the world... 24/7... 365 (just in case you can't get enough HR). Visit http://www.hr.com/hrresearchinstitute to download research (always free) and to maximize HR potential.

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Media Contact:

Julie Murphy
Salary.com
Julie.murphy@salary.com
617-967-5426