Advertisement

This alarm clock tells women what time they should leave work based on the gender pay gap

MTV’s Look Different has teamed up with Party NY to create an alarm clock that highlights t...
Newstalk
Newstalk

13.25 28 Apr 2016


Share this article


This alarm clock tells women w...

This alarm clock tells women what time they should leave work based on the gender pay gap

Newstalk
Newstalk

13.25 28 Apr 2016


Share this article


MTV’s Look Different has teamed up with Party NY to create an alarm clock that highlights the gender pay gap in the US.

Studies in America show that women who work full-time are being paid 21% less than their male colleagues for working the same job and hours.

The 79% World Clock is designed to highlight this inequality by alerting you when 79% of your work day has passed.

Advertisement

The creators say: “After a certain point in time, women aren’t being paid. When a woman hears its chime, she might as well go home”.

 

While 79% is the average disparity in America, the gap widens depending on race. The clock is therefore adjustable to reflect individual pay gaps, and calculations can be carried out on their website

A gender pay gap exists in almost all countries worldwide, and fluctuates depending on age, skill set and industry.

In Ireland a wage gap exists but we fare much better than the US, with data from 2012 placing us at 14.4%. The EU average is 16.1% according to Eurostat figures released in March

The World Economic Forum also places Ireland at number five in the Global Gender Gap Index, taking into account several extra factors, including educational opportunities, political empowerment and health.

How would it work here? Based on a 14.4% pay gap, a woman working 9-5 Monday to Friday, should theoretically set her clock to chime at 3:51pm. Alternatively, she could save up her hours and only set the clock on Fridays for 11:15am.

While we are not encouraging you to leave work before you are contractually obliged to, it does serve as a timely reminder that a gender pay gap does exist globally. 

Fortunately for your employers, the timepiece isn’t readily available to purchase. A number of women in America were sent the clock on Equal Pay Day, on April 12th, to serve as a daily reminder that at a certain point in the day women aren’t being paid for their work. 

Greys Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes was among the high profile recipients. 


Share this article


Read more about

News

Most Popular