‘You’re infatuated with the lies,’ Stella said, thumping her fist on to the table.
Her plastic cup knocked over and she grabbed it before it drenched her notes. The day started badly, and it was getting worse as the morning went on. The only woman on the board, it was difficult to get her point across.
‘Feminism rubbish, that’s all this is. I mean we employ an equal amount of men to women in this company.’
‘You do, but at what rate of pay,’ she said.
A file passed around to her fellow board members, she hoped this would show what needed to be done. It was in passing she looked at her wages, and that of a similar colleague. They did the same job, but her pay was significantly lower.
‘For instance, I am earning £50,000 a year, but you, are earning double. £100,000 for the same job. It isn’t just me, there are many woman in this company not getting the same respect.’
Doug, his affluent stomach barely holding in the buttons on is shirt, glared in Stella’s direction, and refused to even look at the papers. At least the owner of the company was rifling through each piece of paper.
This was a risk, not only because she could lose her job, but other women in the firm would suffer too.
‘As you can see, I brought in almost three times as much revenue to the firm, and my colleague . . . well, let us just say he is not . . . ‘ Stella stopped, and took a deep breath, ‘is only bringing in half of the revenue produced by my clients.’
‘What do you want us to do?’
‘Pay the same going rate, or pay on commission. It isn’t fair, and you know it isn’t.’
‘You have put a good case going forward, and yes it is about time your wages were fair. We will put your wages up by £20,000 and Doug, you will take a pay cut of the same amount.’
Stella, glad of her pay rise, but it was bittersweet. Doug threw her papers across the polished surface of the table, and stormed out of the room.
Writer Ravenclaw 
I like this sentence
Doug, his affluent stomach barely holding in the buttons on is shirt,
I don’t have one. I’m not affluent……..
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A great story about fairness and female rights, Well done.
I’ll never understand why the lady has to do the same job as a man for half the wages. I mean men don’t take a 50% pay cut when doing reception work and nursing so why should a lady doing mechanics or management? it’s atrocious!
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It is, but there are very few jobs where women are paid the same.
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They should brought her pay up to at least match Doug’s. But I don’t think it was right to punish Doug for the inequities that the company permitted in the past.
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