My great friends at the Women's Fund of Central Ohio posted this today on their Facebook page:

Today is Equal Pay Day. Why today? It is the day in the year when women catch up to what men made last year. Women earn .77 cents on the $1 as compared to men. Think of it this way. Every week, women have to work Monday through Friday and then Monday and Tuesday again to equal what men make Monday through Friday.

How is that after decades of being in the workforce that women lag so far behind men in pay equity? There are historical and cultural reasons. Women's work history has been one of being paid nothing for work for centuries. As we progressed through the last century, women started from a much lower salary base so we have farther to rise. As I tell my students, when you take that first job--push for the highest wages you can get. It will set you up for the rest of your life to receive the pay you deserve for the work you do.

The cultural reasons are complex, but as one boss said to me: you don't have a family to support. Really? He didn't know all the family that I do support, but because my family doesn't look like his version of family he didn't understand. Moreover, this has nothing to do with equal pay for equal work.

So here's a task for all of us today. Take a look at your salary. Ask your boss: how do I stack up to the rest of the organization? You only get what you ask for. So ask for pay equity today.