A hidden deterioration in equal pay achievements?

Abstract

Purpose Employee benefits, a critical element of total employee rewards, are important for both employers and employees. This study aims to explore the utility of employee benefits for male and female employees during the recent economic recession. In doing so, it intends to highlight an indirect deterioration of employment arrangements and equality in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on the findings of three repeated large-scale surveys during the Greek crisis (2012-2015, total N = 3,498). Findings Employees report that the availability of employee benefits has decreased during the recession and that women find more utility in them than men do. Additionally, women seem to be affected more than men by decreases in employee benefits allocation. Research limitations/implications The present findings support calls for contingent employee reward allocation. Practical implications Employers wishing to sustain their competitive advantage by fostering inclusion and diversity and/or employers with a high female employee ratio are encouraged to consider increasing their employee benefits portfolio. Social implications The recent economic crisis and the subsequent recession have brought about several potential negative effects, in terms of the employment conditions for women. Decreased employee benefits are a hidden negative effect of the recession for female employees and it presents multiple, potential and unforeseen consequences for gender diversity and inclusion. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to address non-monetary employee remuneration under the lens of gender pay differentials. It does so in a turbulent macro-economic setting.

The Role of Big Data Predictive Analytics as A Mediator of The Influence of Recruitment and Selection, Remuneration and Rewards, Training, and Development on Employee Retention

“…According to Martocchio, remuneration, and rewards are a very important part of employees as a remuneration portfolio (Martocchio, 2011). Currently, regardless of the proportion in any organization remuneration and rewards constitute one of the company's operating budgets Linz and Semykina, (2013) in (Galanaki, 2020). Remuneration is a considerable operating expense for any employer, but the company will also be rewarded employees for contributing to improving their well-being (e.g., fitness center or health services, food, and transportation) and the company also assists employees in dealing with challenges in…”

How total reward packages were impacted by Greece's recession

“…The review is based on "A hidden deterioration in equal pay achievements? The case of employee benefits during the Greek recession" by Galanaki (2020), published in Gender in Management. This research paper explores the impact of employee benefit reductions during Greece's 2012-2015 recession, which a third of survey respondents experienced.…”

“…T he gender pay gap is a stubborn phenomenon that's evolved globally to varying degrees. A research paper by Galanaki (2020) explores the relative usefulness of employee benefits to men and women during Greece's 2012-2015 recession. Of particular interest is the crumbling trend of benefit provision during periods of macroeconomic difficulty, and how this impacts employees of each gender.…”