Audi of America ran an inspiring commercial during the Super Bowl. While showing their great automobiles, they urged “equal pay for women,” akin to equal pay for equal work. I researched their U.S. leadership team, of 14 senior executives, they have one female senior vice president who they write was the first female senior executive, just hired in 2015. They also have a female senior director of human resources. So just two out of 14 senior leaders are females, the rest are white males. Now I wonder if the female senior vice president of communications, makes the same as the male senior vice president of operations? I’d say no, because the responsibilities are very different. This illustrates the importance of comparing wages or salary for the same position and not expecting a vice president to make the same as a senior vice president, regardless of gender. A well-meaning commercial, but are they “walking the walk” in their company? I do believe men and women should be paid the same for the exact same work and that both have an equal chance for promotion.
Phil Henning, Smithton
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