Do Men in the Workplace Suffer from a "Glass Cellar"?

Question

"While women still earn on average 12 per cent less than men and are severely under-represented in top-level corporate roles, men in full-time

employment work an average of 41.9 hours a week, compared to women's 37.6 hours. According to the American men's-rights author Warren Farrell, there might be a glass ceiling for women, but there is also what he calls 'a glass cellar' for men. 'What I mean by that is men are both at the top of the economy scale and at the bottom. Of the 25 professions ranked the lowest [in the US], 24 of them are 85-100 per cent male. That's things like roofer, welder, garbage collector, sewer maintenance – jobs with very little security, little pay and few people want them."

Is this Farrells assertion reasonable, and do many men genuinely suffer from a glass cellar?

How does this contrast with the hours of unpaid labor performed by women in the home?

Answer 1

lol, before i even read this i started laughting, good one

Answer 2

This even extends out to professional women in their 20's(17% higher in NY, and 20% in Dallas): http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/03/nyregi...

With the sensualization of women power, you will start seeing a lot more changes coming in the next decade with more female college students and younger professionals being paid more as just the beginning.

I'm not sure how less work should get equal pay, jobs with more risk of serious injury should get equal pay with those that are less, ... but feminists will try to find a way to make it okay.

Answer 3

Good question, LOL!! The fact is that in Britain/US women (feminists in particular) only want clean-hands jobs. They are not generally prepared to do dirty or hazardous jobs.

Contrast the situation in Russia and elsewhere. There women play their full part equally with men.

Answer 4

I think there's a close connection with the unpaid hours women work in the home.  

Perhaps more women would be working in these lowest ranking jobs if they paid enough to allow a woman to pay for childcare while she works, but the point of course is that they're the lowest paid jobs.

Answer 5

It makes some sense.  I find it a little strange that feminists aren't calling out for equal employment opportunities in low-paying jobs like this that few people want.

Answer 6

most women can't handle the tough jobs. And i don't just mean the dirty jobs that required strenght.

Every whitecollar office job i've had was very stressful, and sometimes the customer or contractors or even coworkers wouuld get mean and nasty and when this happened, the women would start to cry.

The boss would then be forced into an un-winnable situation.

If he keeps the woman in that job, she will sue for discrimination and harrassment (which of course is not happening, but lawyers and juries always construe it as such).  Or  , if her boss puts her in an easier, nicer job, she may not get promoted as fast, and again, she sues for discrimination and claims she's being passed over and not given more responsibility.

This happens all the time, and no one admits it.

Answer 7

In the US, men are more likely not to go to College and do physical labor.  While Unions were popular, these jobs used to pay a lot, even though they required no education.  Now those Union jobs have been shipped overseas, to avoid the high wages and all that are left are lower paying physical jobs, held mostly by men who are not citizens.  If there is a glass cellar for men, it is because the men in the glass cellar are not citizens.  

BTW, garbage collectors make a good salary.  They are union.

Answer 8

"Of the 25 professions ranked the lowest [in the US], 24 of them are 85-100 per cent male. That's things like roofer, welder, garbage collector, sewer maintenance – jobs with very little security, little pay and few people want them."  

--- Don't all of these jobs pay more than clerical worker, home health aid, maid, cashier, etc.?  Moreover, aren't they unionized?

Homemakers? - NO salary, retirement benefits or security.  

The majority of those living on the minimum wage are women, so I'm not sure about this info. Then again, I think Farrell distorts a lot of info.

He says men take on riskier jobs but doesnt seem to consider prostitution is one of the riskiest of them all. In the US, homicide is the #1 cause of prostitute's death. They are victims to verbal abuse, physical abuse, disease, murder.

Moreover, does he consider stress in the workforce? Care-taking positions rank at the top.

I dont trust any info he pushes.

cheers~