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
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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