Starbucks claims to have finally closed its gender pay gap in the U.S. Your move, everyone else.
After years of working to achieve 100 percent pay equity among employees of all genders and races, Starbucks claims to have finally done it.
On Wednesday, the company announced that employees "performing similar work" in locations across the United States will now be paid equally, regardless of gender or ethnicity.
"Roughly 10 years ago we began serious work to ensure women and men — of all ethnicities and races — are compensated fairly at Starbucks," Lucy Helm, chief partner officer at Starbucks said in a press release. "This accomplishment is the result of years of work and commitment."
In the United States, the gender pay gap affects nearly every industry, with women earning, on average, around 80 cents on the dollar compared to men. From some of the top jobs in the tech field to actresses in Hollywood, women have been found to earn significantly less than men working in the same position as them.
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In a graphic the company broke down its current pay and workforce statistics by gender, showing women make up nearly 70 percent of Starbucks' U.S. employees.
"We believe it is important to encourage others to join us in recognizing the importance of this issue, not just for our partners, but for women all around the world," Helm went on.
As for its global partners, Starbucks says it will continue to work "with deliberate speed" towards closing the gender pay gap worldwide, though the company noted that could take years to achieve.
In hopes of inspiring other companies to work towards achieving pay equity, Starbucks is publicly sharing the principles and tools that were used to help meet its goal. The company will continue working with women's organizations like the Billie Jean King's Leadership Initiative and the National Partnership for Women & Families to ensure women are properly represented.
Topics Social Good
Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.
