Author: Wendy J. Fox

Wendy J. Fox is the author of four books of fiction, including the novel If the Ice Had Held and the collection What If We Were Somewhere Else. She has written for The Rumpus, Buzzfeed, Self, Business Insider and Ms. and her work has appeared in literary magazines including Washington Square, Euphony and Painted Bride Quarterly. More at www.wendyjfox.com.

Women’s Paychecks Are Shrinking—And Policy Isn’t Keeping Up

Last September, the National Partnership for Women and Families reported the wage gap for all women workers had widened to 75 cents for every dollar men earned, representing a 3-cent decrease in real pay per hour for women.

While on the surface this may seem negligible in a paycheck, even a seemingly small increase in wage disparity dramatically impacts the significant gains in pay since the 1980s. American Progress reports that with this current backslide, it will now take until 2068 to close the wage gap.

What’s Next for #MeToo Legislation?

Six years after #MeToo went viral, significant state legislation has gone into law, with 25 states plus D.C. passing over 80 anti-harassment bills. Bipartisan action from the federal government led to President Biden signing both the Speak Out Act, to address predatory nondisclosure agreements; and the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Harassment Act, to restore the ability of workers to take their employers to court—both in 2022.

This legislative progress is welcome, but there is more work to be done. It is laudable that 25 five states have enacted additional protection for workers against abusive NDAs and offer added legal shields when it comes to sexual harassment beyond federal statutes. But that leaves 25 states that have not. 

Return to Work Is Happening in Hybrid Form—But Is Hybrid Working for Women?

The structure of employment in the U.S. has long been untenable for anyone who has caregiving duties, but now that hybrid work is here—the flexibility of which women have been advocating for basically forever—is it enough?

A stark contrast to the benefits of hybrid work: It is precisely the people who need hybrid schedules the most who will end up paying the highest price. 

Women Aren’t “Opting Out” of the Work Force. They’re Being Forced Out

Women Aren't "Opting Out" of the Work Force. They're Being Forced Out

Crushed by the load of caregiving, women are leaving workplaces in droves, and the wage gap is an important motivator.

“A more accurate description of ‘opting out’ is in fact women being forced out of work—forced out by companies that never really wanted us there anyway, forced out by managers who are not amenable to being flexible, forced out by partners who are not willing to pick up their part of the load at home, and forced out by constantly being ground down through silencing, erasure and plain old everyday sexism in our paid work.”