SALT LAKE CITY (November 30, 2018) – Today the Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI) and Salt Lake Chamber, Utah’s largest and longest-serving statewide business association, released the “Best Practices Guide for Closing the Gender Wage Gap.” This guidebook, which is the result of months of research and input gathered from Utah’s business community, is full of policies, programs and actions companies can implement to help close the gender wage gap. According to the American Association of University Women, when it comes to equal compensation, Utah is the worst state in the nation for the gender wage gap.
“We know that no business leader sets out to intentionally pay female employees less than their male counterparts. However, the gap exists and, despite our best intentions, persists,” said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. “Our hope is that companies and individual business owners use this document to identify areas where they can improve and create individualized plans for closing the gender pay gap within their own organization. While we know the gender pay gap will not be fixed in one day, with one resource, policy change, or training, every step we take in the right direction gets us closer to closing the gap.”
The “Best Practices Guide for Closing the Gender Wage Gap,” is divided into five sections: Evaluation, Education, Recruitment, Retention and Advancement. These five sections work together and build upon each other, listing actions that businesses can take in the short-term and policies that can be adopted over time.
“We have an amazing opportunity before us to be leaders in closing the gender wage gap,” said Patricia Jones, CEO of the Women’s Leadership Institute. “We believe members of Utah’s business community are willing and able to not only take the necessary steps to ensure the work Utah women perform is valued fairly, but also prove that we can be leaders in creating solutions that result in an equitable pay environment.”
For more information, or to get a digital copy of the “Best Practices Guide for Closing the Gender Wage Gap,” visit, slchamber.com/wagegap or wliut.com/wagegap
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About the Women’s Leadership Institute
Founded as a 501(c)3 in 2015 by key business leaders in Utah, the Women’s Leadership Institute’s mission is to elevate the stature of women’s leadership in Utah in both business and politics. Under the direction of CEO Patricia Jones, WLI works with more than 200 companies and organizations through its ElevateHER Challenge to elevate women using six key areas of focus. WLI also trains future female leaders through a Political Development Series and Career Development Series.
About the Salt Lake Chamber
The Salt Lake Chamber is Utah’s largest and longest-standing business association. A statewide chamber of commerce with members in all 29 Utah counties, the Chamber represents the broad interests of the state’s 63,000-plus employers, which employ more than 1.4 million Utahns. This includes thousands of Chamber members and their employees. With roots that date back to 1887, the Chamber stands as the voice of business, supports its members’ success and champion’s community prosperity.