Attribution: MoneySense
Dear friends,
Hope this message finds all of you safe and healthy. This month I want to talk about that most sticky of subjects, money! We know that women and people of color are paid less in academia compared to white men, and of course, this is a huge intersectional problem for women of color. (I am purposely stating this as a fact and not using space to cite supporting data. I want to talk strategies.)
One enormous barrier to equitable compensation is our cultural taboo about money talk. If you take anything away from this email, I hope it is this: talk to your friends and trusted colleagues about money! One general tip: If you ask for advice about money, it is helpful to give people ranges instead of asking them to provide a specific number. You might ask: I see you spoke at XXX Venue last year. They’re asking me for my rate, and I’m unsure if I should offer $500-1000 for a 1-hour talk, which is what I tell non-profits, or whether they routinely offer more in the range of $1500-3000. I heard that their peer YYY Venue offers $5000, so maybe I am not asking for enough. Can you suggest a ballpark for me? The same is true for salary discussions- ranges make people feel more comfortable. Below are three actual, recent, money-related interactions with some suggested practices.
Is my salary where it should be? A mentee at another institution reached out to me about salary as they consider a move. I sent them anonymous information from 3 of their peers, and they realized that they are not as underpaid as they assumed. I would strongly encourage all of you to think of senior people at other institutions as a resource for salary questions. I was able to look through grant budgets and provide specific (anonymous) data, and one of my own outside mentors told me early in my faculty journey that I was significantly underpaid. It helped me advocate for myself.
An “ask” that may or may not be funded: In the course of planning some lectures, I wanted to invite someone who has a loose UCSF affiliation to speak. I asked the person in charge of the budget if I could offer an honorarium to this person, and they said no. I felt awkward about making an unfunded invitation, but I went ahead. They responded with this request for funding: Are you all able to support my time for the lecture? Lack of funds is not an impediment for me presenting. But it is important I advocate supporting my time and this work. These words gave me a basis to go back to the person holding the purse strings and ask again, and this time they didn’t refuse. My take-homes: Ask for support, and be aware that if it’s not offered initially, your direct request can influence the outcome.
What is your usual rate? I was asked this recently and had no good answer, so I asked a friend. This person didn’t want to respond by email so we ended up talking by phone. Here’s their framework:
Does this effort give you returns beyond funding? (For example, a visiting professor gig is worth doing even if all that is offered is covering expenses, because it is good for your advancement.)
What is the effort required? Is it a new talk? If so, will you be able to re-use it?
How rich are they? Is this a health system/company with deep pockets, or a scrappy local non-profit?
Whom can you ask about a specific invitation?
You can also respond with: Here’s a rate sheet for my program. Your program is your own research enterprise, but if you have tiers of rates/ activities listed out on a document, it feels less arbitrary.
As always, be well and safe. In these difficult times, please remember that your work is important, and putting effort into your career is part of making a better world! I’m eager to hear your good news- please share and I will amplify it. Please do share this message freely and encourage friends and colleagues to sign up for the blog at the bottom of the page.
Warmly,
Urmimala