The man who closed the gender pay gap - not once, but twice

Dealing openly and honestly with the gender pay gap is something that can be achieved now, rather than waiting another 100 years for the next generation to do it. One just has to look to Marc Benioff, chairman, and CEO of Salesforce - a man who spent $3 million to close the gap, not once, but twice.

Benioff runs one of the world’s biggest companies. He was recently ranked second on a top 10 list of “Global Champions of Women in Business” compiled by the Financial Times and HERoes, a workplace diversity advocacy group. Why? Because in 2015 Salesforce undertook a pay audit to see if its men and women were paid equally. They found that wasn’t the case, so Benioff spent $3 million to “eliminate statistically significant differences in pay." In 2017 Salesforce repeated the analysis. And then spent another $3 million to rectify new pay discrepancies. 

Closing the pay gap is easy if an employer both talks the talk and walks the walk. While a lot of companies say they promote workplace diversity and equal pay, how many put their money where their mouth is, as Benioff did, and invest significant sums in fixing the problem immediately? Sadly, not many. And why is that so I ask?

Benioff is also a signatory to the White House’s Equal Pay Pledge. They require 30% of attendees at every meeting to be women. It is a company that grants equality awards for trailblazers on equal rights in business, government, and nonprofits. 

My husband works at Salesforce – and I couldn’t be prouder.