Women are asking for pay rises but are not as successful as men

The theory that women don’t get pay rises because they don’t ask has been debunked by a new study, according to a report by the BBC.

The study conducted by Cass Business School and the universities of Warwick and Wisconsin looked at 4,600 workers and found that women are as likely to ask for a pay rise as men but are less likely to get one.

No evidence was found for the ‘reticent’ female theory wherein women were weary to ask for a pay rise because they were either worried about upsetting their boss or deviating from their perceived female stereotype.

When like-for-like employees were compared men were 25% more likely to get a pay rise when they asked than women.

The study was based on data from the 2013-14 Australia workplace relations survey as they are thought to be the only country to record when employees ask for a pay rise and why they had done so.

"Having seen these findings, I think we have to accept that there is some element of pure discrimination against women," said professor of economics and behavioural science at the University of Warwick Andrew Oswald.

Dr Amanda Goodall from Cass Business School and a co-author of the study, thinks this could be the start of a more empowered female workforce. "The study potentially has an upside. Young women today are negotiating their pay and conditions more successfully than older females, and perhaps that will continue as they become more senior" said Goodall.