Salesforce CEO examines 16k workers’ salaries to make sure women are paid fairly

This actually makes sense. Women with children most likely spend more time away from work, taking time off for appointments, and leaving work at normal times (and most likely spending time with the family instead of working on weekends). All of these things hurt your career opportunities. When I was working a corporate job, you needed to do all of these things to advance. Some men with families were also passed up for promotions because they were unwilling and unable to spend more time at the office.

"My job is to make sure that women are treated 100 percent equally at Salesforce in pay, opportunity and advancement."

One of the reasons two people in the same position get better pay is better negotiating skills. At my first job, I found out how much my co-workers made, by chance. I was paid $20,000 more per year for pretty much the same position (and almost the same education). He was even there 3 years prior to my being hired.

Was there some sort of discrimination involved? no. I just knew what I was worth and wouldn't accept anything less.

Will they also compare men in the same position (one man to another)?

The end result of all of this will be a normalization of salaries meaning everyone in the same position will be paid exactly the same, which is great for companies because you will not be able to negotiate.

I'm glad I'm no longer an employee. The IT crowd seems to love making it that much easier to outsource to foreign countries, pay Americans less, and remove any leverage an employee actually has, all in the name of "equality".

Why stop at jobs? Should we also make it difficult for any sort of business deal (which is what an employment contact is) to be negotiated by forcing a specific rate? Is it fair that I bought my house for a cheaper rate than the previous owner?

Or how about the more likely (but less P.C.) explanation : taking more time off work leads to well... less opportunities at work. As it arguably should be (because meritocracy)

Is the alternative (artificially "correcting" pay gaps) really fair to other colleagues who worked their asses off ? I can understand the good intent but it's a slippery slope : is that also going to apply to men who decide to take time off for hobbies, or is it a female-only privilege btw ?

Smart CEOs would use such services. It's not perfect, but at least you could address any flagrant pay disparity.