Essay Sample on the Wage Gap Initiative by the Government of New Brunswick

Sustainable development refers to the way the society react to development so as to balance the different, current, and competing wants in contradiction to social, economic, and environmental disadvantages that people face in the society (Leach, 2015). Therefore, various factors that enhances development should be considered before they are implemented to ensure that the future generation is secured. First, the core principle of sustainable development is the environment. Environmental limits should be observed when implementing any changes, so as to enhance a sturdy, just and healthy society (Leach, 2015). Thus, this means that various needs of the existing and future generation is achieved while promoting individual welfare, social cohesion, and generating equal opportunity. Poor decisions in the society such as poor planning have consequences on peoples life such as it reduces the quality of life. Second, the social pillar mainly focuses on the ability of a country to function in a well and defined culture that comprises of harmony and social wellbeing (Leach, 2015). Therefore, any decision made in a society should ensure that it does not cause unsustainabilities such as war, poverty, injustice, and illiteracy. It is our responsibility to make sure that we improve that social justice, reduce poverty, peace, and promote social equality. This is because by doing so we enhance the present and future development in our society. Third, the economic is a pillar of sustainable development because it ensures that there are fair distribution and allocation of resources thus, ensuring that economic development upholds a healthy balance in the society (Gibbs & Krueger, 2007). Pay equity plays a big role in ensuring that the three pillars of sustainable development that is economic, social, and environment are enhanced in our communities.

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One of the initiatives of sustainable development is equality which has been an issue in the various countries across the world because sex and race discrimination, is still happening in the job market. Women are a core factor in the economic development and stability, because empowered women produce children who earn and invest in the next generation (Gibbs & Krueger, 2007). Thus, ensuring that women get equal pay for equal jobs as men will contribute to decrease the poverty level. Research has shown that sustainable development would be very easy to achieve if only we get closer to pay equality. Unfortunately, the glass ceiling index shows that the pay gap does not improve, in the year 2015, the wage gap of women was 20% as compared to men (Laroche, 2016).The social pillar of sustainability development has been unstable over the years, because no changes or positive effects on the issue of equality in the job markets has been seen over the years. For example, according to Institute for Womens Policy Research (IWPR) that track gender wage gap if the changes in the gender pay equality continue going slow as in the past years then it will take longer than expected for women to reach the pay parity (Hartmann, 2015). The economic pillar of sustainable development is maintainable. This is because today the society mainly focuses on various ways that it will continue to ensure that jobs opportunities are equally allocated to both men and women as per their education level (Grimshaw, 2013). It has been noted that over the past years women have moved to occupations and jobs that were wholly considered for men.

The wage gap initiative by the government of New Brunswick measures wage gap it computes the number of men and women workers and their hourly wages then it calculates their wage gap by dividing the average number of women hourly wage by the mens average hourly wage then subtracting the answer from 100% (Gibbs & Krueger, 2007). I chose this initiative because it provides an indicator of wage gap while concentrating on societal attitude and contributors such as job clustering, family duties, and under-valuation of female occupation by their traditions. Also it can be used to evaluate gender composition across all the levels of the organization.

I choose job satisfaction as an indicator because it evaluates and explains the various variables such as wages, occupation, and working hourly and how they affect the economic system. Pay equality has been a major blow to job satisfaction in most organization because workers especially women are not satisfied with what the wage gap in firms (Richard, 2002). This affects sustainability development because some women will be excluded from the job market since they are not satisfied with their jobs. Hence, this will increase the poverty level. For example, the job satisfaction index in London shows that about 60% of workers are happy, but one in three employed workers is looking for jobs. Also, for in every ten workers says that high salary is a deciding factor in accepting a job, but men are more influenced as compared to women (Grimshaw, 2013). According to Wage Gap Reduction initiative by government of New Brunswick this initiative is sustainable because of an increase in job satisfaction as a result of enhancement in pay equity.

I choose higher education as an indicator for social pillar because it plays a large role in ensuring equality is attained in our societies. This is because education mainly develops students capability to solve problems, ability to participate in democratic systems, take care of the world, think independently, and ensures they take responsibility for their welfare among others in the society. Higher education in a community reduces the effects of culture on implementing equality (Krishna & Smitha, 2016). Thus, this enhances sustainability development because communities guided by their culture will be able to accept and practice equity even in their job markets. Thus, it will ensure that social sustainability development in our society is achieved and people will live in a peaceful and a well-functioning community (Grimshaw, 2013). For example, today the government is investing in education by setting up more universities and colleges, from 1980, the government has ensured that higher education is affordable such as college tuition took 26 % of medium family income in the country by 2014 but the figure has doubled to 56% over the years (Grimshaw, 2013).According to Wage Gap Reduction initiative by government of New Brunswick, in this case the initiative is sustainable because of an increase in social stability as a result of increase in higher education.

References

Education for Sustainable Development Volume (issue 06) page 35-42. Retrieved from%20as%20an%20Indicator%20of%20the%20Quality%20of%20Work.pdf

656-673. Retrieved from http://bryder.nu/quinne1/sites/default/files/Job%20Satisfaction

Gibbs, D. & Krueger, R. (2007). The Sustainable Development Paradox: Urban Political Economy in the United States and Europe. California. Guilford Press.

Grimshaw, D. (2013). Minimum Wage, Pay Equity, and Comparative Industrial Relations. New York. Routledge.

Hartmann, H. (2015). Pay Equity & Discrimination. Retrieved from

http://www.iwpr.org/initiatives/pay-equity-and-discriminationhttps://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2868514Krishna, V., Shashidhar, R. & Smitha, D. (2016). Sustainable Development and Thresholds of

Laroche, R. (2016). Pay equality obligation leaves some organization with tough decision.

Leach, M. (2015). Gender Equality and Sustainable Development. New York. Routledge.

Retrieved from http://communitylivingontario.ca/blog/pay-equity-obligations-leaveorganizations-tough-decisions/Richard, L. (2002). Job satisfaction as an indicator of the quality of work. Vol 34 (5)