Inbox: Women still getting a rough deal on pay

Inbox collects the most thought-provoking of the reader comments posted on silicon.com each week.

Women are still getting a raw deal when it comes to pay, according to a story this week on silicon.com, which has prompted some strong responses from women and men. And if IT is so forward-looking how come the pay scales haven't changed since the stone age?

Also this week readers, weigh in on the BA baggage debacle, with 'I told you so' being a recurring theme. And finally - inflated bonuses was the theme of the Naked CIO's latest lament, and as usual it's got readers worked up… see their comments below.

Don't forget to post your own response to any of these stories or comments by clicking here.

Women in IT 'a fifth worse off than men'
The majority of female IT workers still believe their wages don't match up to those of male colleagues - despite almost four decades of the UK Equal Pay Act.

Where's the incentive?
Firms have no incentive to make it fair for women, in my team there is a 35 per cent difference between my pay and the men in the team (we all do exactly the same job and they are less skilled than me) and management know this but make no move to make it fair. Now the economic climate will be a further reason to do nothing about it.
Anonymous, London

Gap getting wider
The gap appears to be widening, not narrowing.

The 1996 IT Skills Trends Report gives analyses by age (e.g. under 24, 25 – 29, over 50 etc.) and career stream (e.g. management, programming, operations etc.)

For those under 24 the gap was under five per cent, for those under 40 the gap was 10 per cent or less, for those over 50 the gap was 30 per cent or more.

Having a career break or going part-time was the differentiator.
Philip Virgo, London

Putting up a fight
I agree with the previous comments, not only is the gap widening but the chances of promotion are diminishing. "Robustness" was the last quote I received, what does that mean? I might cry if someone yells at me... I don't think so.

More often the men folk are being tapped on the shoulder for promotions whereas us women appear to have to fight for what we want. This is a great topic area, would like to see more views posted on the subject.
Anonymous, Poole

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BA blames Heathrow T5 chaos on IT testing slip ups
MPs have told British Airways and airport operator BAA they "could and should have avoided" the Heathrow T5 baggage chaos.

Moving house takes time
Personally I feel the root cause was ineffectual senior management, BA full of their own huffing and puffing of self importance, and a firm belief in project management by wishful thinking.

Anyone with half a brain could see anything this inherently complex needed to be better thought out, staffed, trained, tested and most of all have a staggered introduction rather than overwhelming on day one with an overnight 'house move', which was just a plain dumb idea.
Anonymous, Birmingham

A bad workman…
A bad workman blames his tools and likewise bad management blame their workforce. Do those at the top ever learn - or are they too focused on next year's target bonuses to care?
Radical Meldrew, Suburbs

Simple stuff
As a customer my needs are a quick and painless journey through to my flight and the assurance that my checked baggage is 100 per cent assured to arrive at my destination with me.

Simple? Should be with the right management and properly trained staff.
Chris Goodman, Fareham

Testing is key
Testing is a crucial part of any project. By not allowing sufficient time to test a system, organisations run the risk of it falling at the first hurdle. Unfortunately, Heathrow's Terminal 5 is going to be remembered as a text-book example of what happens when systems are not tested properly.

By not testing [properly], organisations run the risk of repeating Terminal 5's problems. One can only hope that such a high profile and embarrassing systems failure will demonstrate to other organisations the need to do everything necessary to avoid a similar disaster.
Steve Gedney, Twyford, Berkshire

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Naked CIO: Bonuses reward wrong behaviour
Do bonuses reward the right behaviour?

15 years too late
Good article but about 15 years late. I'm sick of the corporate obsession with bonuses that directly cause the loss of jobs and I've seen it get dramatically worse in the last decade or so.

Good IT staff are leaving in droves (I've nearly finished an OU degree to enable me to switch career) because of this and the other corporate obsession that is just as destructive - offshoring.
Anonymous, London

Short-termism to blame
For once I actually agree with you.

But as Anonymous of London says you are about 15 years too late.

The executive bonus system, knee jerk cost cutting and short-termism, where anything more than six months is classed as a long term project have been poisoning British industry for a very long time.
Karen Challinor, UK

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Is it greed, lunacy or arrogance?
Couldn't agree more. The 'everybody needs to work for the common aim' platitudes from senior management don't actually seem to apply to them. It almost seems as though a full-frontal lobotomy is a primary requirement for boardroom status these days - they unashamedly favour themselves over the company's long term prospects every time and expect support from staff and shareholders alike. Is it greed, lunacy or arrogance? All I know is that none of it makes any sense!
Radical Meldrew, Suburbs

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