NYWIFT Blog

Do Women Earn Less Because They Ask for Less?

November 18th, 2015 – by Terisa Thurman

Jennifer Lawrence fueled the fire over the conversation of the gender pay gap in Hollywood after she published an essay
titled, “Why
Do I Make Less Than My Male Co-Stars?” The actress learned how her wages compared to her male colleagues as a result of the Sony email hack which put private emails
online for the public to see. The essay in which Lawrence confesses, “I
failed as a negotiator because I gave up early,” seemed to lend itself as the catalyst for New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT)
to call a special meeting for their members and the lawyers of Outten
& Golden, a law firm that is dedicated to representing employees and
executives.

It may have been Friday the 13^th
but despite any superstitious beliefs NYWIFT members arrived early,
approximately 8:30 AM to the law offices in midtown Manhattan in hopes
of learning how to polish their skills negotiating the terms, conditions
and salary of a job offer.

After
a continental breakfast and a warm welcome by managing founder Wayne
Outten, NYWIFT members listened to a presentation titled
“Negotiating Your Next Move: Employment and Consulting Agreements” led
by Outten & Golden partner, Katherine Blostein. The firm is
particularly qualified to lead the conversation as Outten & Golden’s
clients include unpaid interns who went head to head with
entertainment entities such as Fox Searchlight, NBCUniversal and Charlie
Rose. They also represented female executives who sued for gender
discrimination against corporate titans like Goldman Sachs, Bank of
America and Microsoft.

Blostein walked the group through a few eye-opening statistics including one that stated women on average ask for 30% less than their male counterparts when negotiating salary. She moved on to explore tactics to give women the edge at the negotiation table ranging from tips on how to gain more confidence from using the right terminology to being more assertive by defining the parameters within an employment contract.

The conversation was further expanded into financial aspects as Blostein introduced CPA and MBA Nancy Cooper. Cooper offered detailed advice on types of insurance and filing taxes. She also answered individual questions and provided resources to gain personalized information.

This member’s only event is one of many benefits offered to NYWIFT members.

Terisa Thurman is studying sustainability at Columbia University. Follow her on Twitter.

To find out more about member benefits and how to join visit www.nywift.org. Now through December 1st, take advantage of our Fall Membership Drive discount and save 50% off the initiation fee when you apply online!