Comparable Worth: The Problematic Politicization of a Public Personnel Issue

The issue of comparable worth arose as a result of the discovery of serious gender inequities in the operation of the compensation system of Washington State government. Subsequent developments elsewhere have further added to the salience of the pay equity issue. In the context of this highly charged political context, what attitudes toward pay and compensation do women in the public service tend to hold? On the basis of employee surveys conducted in both the State of Washington and among the U.S. federal workforce, findings are reported that suggest that women are less likely to be dissatisfied with their pay than men. The implications of these findings are discussed, both with respect to the future politicization of the comparable worth issue and the proper assumptions to be made in conceptualizing the motivational basis of public employee behavior.