A 'Dramatic' Gender Wage Gap Awaits In-House Counsel

This isn't where the bad news ends for women working in-house...

sad-Biglaw-associate-low-bonus-no-moneyHot on the heels of the news that in-house counsel have seen a modest, 4.3 percent uptick in compensation comes the discouraging caveat that a “dramatic” gender wage gap exists among those who work in-house.

Earlier this week, the Association of Corporate Counsel released its latest in-house trends report, which revealed that a higher percentage of women’s salaries were on the lower end of the salary scale than those of their male counterparts. The survey, based on responses from 1,800 in-house counsel in 53 countries, further stated that while a higher proportion of men existed in six of seven salary bands above and beyond $199,000, only 8 percent of male respondents actually believed that the in-house gender wage gap existed. Who knew that such a pay disparity was quietly lurking in-house? Apparently almost everyone, save for those it doesn’t affect.

Unfortunately, that’s not where the bad news ends for women working in-house:

[A]ccording to the report, over one-third of female respondents have had trouble finding satisfactory jobs after an absence of six months or less.

And 65 percent of female lawyers found it difficult to find a new position after a two-year or more absence from the workforce.

Is there anywhere in the legal profession where women won’t face bias and discrimination by virtue of the fact that they’re women? It’s 2017, and yet the jury still seems to be out on this question.

Have you faced gender-based salary discrimination while working in an in-house setting? We’d love to hear your story. Please contact us via email (subject line: “In-House Gender Wage Gap”), text (646-820-8477), or tweet (@atlblog).

‘Dramatic’ Gender Pay Gap Plagues In-House Counsel, Survey Finds [Law.com]

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Earlier: In-House Attorneys See 4.3 Percent Pay Hike — Still Pretty Sure They’re Underpaid


Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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