Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!mailrus!ames!pasteur!agate!seeker@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu From: seeker@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (Karen Lynn White) Newsgroups: comp.society.women Subject: Discrimination? Message-ID: <11732@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> Date: 6 Jul 88 20:48:20 GMT Sender: usenet@agate.BERKELEY.EDU Lines: 45 Approved: skyler@violet.berkeley.edu (Moderator -- Trish Roberts) Comments-to: comp-women-request@cs.purdue.edu Submissions-to: comp-women@cs.purdue.edu Have you ever been in a situation where you just wonder if you are treated differently for being female? How can you really be sure that some situations are discriminatory? I just began working a part-time job that I'll keep in my last year of school. The work (system programming mostly) is fun and very low-pressure. They gave me a great terminal, light, desk and other stuff students never get. I get to come in whenever I want and work as many or as few hours as I want. They don't have a lot of fun toys to play with yet but I like the people and it is fun to be involved in setting up a new environment. The job is great, even if I am the only female at this location who is not a secretary. The only problem I have with the situation is that they paid the guy I replaced $1.5 more an hour than I get. He worked there about 10 months and did not get a raise during that time. His GPA is about the same as mine and also hired in as a senior. The main difference is that he was majoring in 'decision science' and I am working on an honor's BA in cs and math. When they initally made an offer I tryed to get it set up a little but was told that you have to take or leave whatever number comes out of their formula. I was also told I could my job title would have to be 'staff assistant' until I graduate although I am getting to program, same as any of the others. The number I was given was GS-5 which seems to mean some range to military types. This title and number were the same for the guy I'm replacing so that doesn't explain the difference in money. Can anybody tell me what GS-5 means and what the salary range for it can be? Should I just be happy I have a job good or at some point am I justified in asking for a little more money? I should say what I'm paid may be fair but I did make more money per hour the summer before with less experience. I'm bringing this up for advice but also because I wonder if a lot of women find a place to work where they can pick up kids or work flex-time without hassle and then stay there when the money could be much better somewhere else. Is it common to settle for fewer benefits in a comfortable place to work? Karen Lynn White "On a clear disk you can seek forever..." Computer Science Indiana University ARPA: seeker@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu Bloomington, IN 47405 UUCP: {pyramid,ihnp4,pur-ee,rutgers}!iuvax!seeker