Carla Santamaria was more than a year into her job in higher education when she first learned about Latina equal payday. This symbolic day, usually in October, marks when Latin’s finally serves what white, non-Llatinian men earned the year before. It made her question whether she was fair at work, where she earned $ 51,000 a year as campus director.
After Latina is equal in October in October, Santamaria emailed her manager to ask if she received equal pay for equal work. Her manager started an investigation, and in February he shared with her that they decided that she had been mistakenly canceled on a lower payroll than she would earn but that it was not something they could do to correct it or give back pay. Months later, she found out that an HR error had resulted in her earning $ 10,000 less per year than her co-workers with the same title and qualifications.
“I was furious and thought my parents didn’t bring me to this country so I could be exploited at an office job,” says Santamaria. “I did not give up growing up in Honduras with my grandmother so that I would be underpaid and overworked. As much as it was really difficult for me to leave that job because I loved that job, I decided that I would love myself more.”
While women Equal payday Falls on March 25 this year – marks how far into the year women must work to serve what men served last year – Latinas must work seven extra months to finally serve what the average woman does. Latinas is facing the biggest wage difference for any group of women, and this year, Latina Equal Pay Day will not come until October 8. Latinas stands for losing over $ 1 million During a 40-year career because of this wage difference, according to a National Women’s Law Center report.
When Santamaria’s boss told her that nothing could be done to deal with her pay deviation, she decided it was time to move on. She swung from higher education to Diversity, capital and inclusion (dei) field and became dei coordinator in a local healthcare system. Although she was keen to take on this new role, which paid $ 14,000 more annually than her previous job, Santamaria says she regrets not negotiating her salary when she took the new job.
“I felt a lot of shame because at that time I had already helped friends and clients to negotiate their salary,” says Santamaria. At her six-month brand at work as dei coordinator, she asked her manager if they could visit her compensation. “She laughed at me and said,” It won’t happen, “says Santamaria.
Santamaria was enough for connections on Facebook and LinkedIn, set up network meetings and went on 35 coffee chats in 90 days. She examined job titles, descriptions and wages in line with her goals. In less than a year, Santamaria secured a new role, but this time she was equipped to negotiate her ideal salary increase.
She says she went from earning $ 51,000 a year in June 2021 to earn $ 120,000 a year in May 2022. Today Santamaria continues to earn six figures as Dei manager at a technology company. She also supports first -generation college students and professionals through her First gene coaching Consulting company and Podcast. For the first time in her career, she Started an emergency fundopened a Roth IRA, and Bought a house.
“By increasing my income through my nine to five and my coaching business, I have been able to realize that retirement is not something for white people; it is something that I can actively work against,” says Santamaria. “My goal is financially independent, and I’m finally able to think about investing for pension and making it comfortable, rather than thinking about it and panicking.”
With Latina, like payday, seven months away, Santamaria notes that one of the biggest obstacles that Latinas faces when it is time to achieve equal pay is inequality and the lack of openness that is built into many companies’ compensation policy.
“Don’t beat yourself. If you have discriminated against based on your gender or if you have been exploited because you did not know how much money you should ask for, it is not your fault,” she says. “The system is designed to work that way, but you can give yourself the opportunity to gain knowledge and get better pay.”
If you are planning to advocate for a higher salary this year, Santamaria proposes to investigate the standard market wage for your skills so that you can get paid accordingly.
“We deserve the whole dollar. It’s not even about getting your value because your value as a person, as a person, is inherent. But your skills and what you contribute to the workplace have a numeric value. So find the numeric value and go for it,” says Santamaria. “This is how we can all start making a greater impact on our society because the more we have, the more we have to give.”
Zameena Mejia is a Dominican American freelance writer born and raised in New York City. She is passionate about stories and uplifting different voices in beauty, wellness and Latinx’s lifestyle. Zameena has a BA in journalism and Latin American studies from the State University of New York in New Paltz and a MA in business reporting from Craig Newmark Graduate School of journalism.
