For many female workers, the pay gap is a constant reminder that pay inequality still exists. But more companies have tried to fix the pay gap by auditing their pay practices. These audits show companies where inequalities exist in their pay structures, letting them fix mistakes.
Lyft recently reported that their most recent audit found no gap between male and female employees. Companies that adopt and use these audit systems take another step closer to pay equity.
Pay audits improved Lyft’s pay inequality
Lyft has done audits on its pay for the past three years. The audits look at base pay and compensation packages to analyze the gap between men and women. The last two years showed that Lyft had around a 1% difference which it tried to close by adjusting affected salaries. This year, the audit showed the company had successfully closed their pay gap.
Older companies struggle to close the gap
Many companies have started using these audits in the past five years. Large companies like Google have spent millions of dollars trying to close their pay gaps. But larger and older companies have struggled to reach the goal of total pay equality. Since Lyft is smaller and newer compared to other companies, they started with a very narrow gap and were able to close it easier.
Not every company tries to fix the pay gap
While the story of Lyft is good news for those experiencing pay equity issues, Lyft is only one company. Many people in the workforce still struggle with pay inequality, especially for gender. And while many companies turn to pay audits to try and close the wage gap, others continue to use the same unequal practices that have led to a pay gap.
With these companies, legal action taken by employees may be the only reason for them to fix their pay gap.
