Microsoft’s CEO said that women shouldn’t ask for raises and should rely on “karma” instead.

Microsoft’s CEO said that women shouldn’t ask for raises and should rely on “karma” instead.

Tell CEO Satya Nadella: Disclose Microsoft’s pay data immediately.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently told an audience full of women in technology that they shouldn’t ask for raises. That instead they should rely on “karma” for career advancement.

The CEO knew he had messed up, and almost immediately posted an apology onto Microsoft’s website. (1)

The thing is: an apology isn’t enough. We need more than words to prove that this was just a slip up, and not a mentality that pervades Microsoft. We need evidence that the company is truly committed to diversity and inclusion.

For Black people, this isn’t just a women’s issue. Black men earn 73 cents for every dollar a white man earns, while Black women earn only 64 cents. (2)

If Black men and women are ever going to have a fair shot at Microsoft, or anywhere in the tech industry, big companies need to make their salary statistics public. We need to know how much Black folks are earning compared to their white counterparts.

We’re going to be waiting a long time for equality if we wait for karma to kick in. For-example, the pay gap has barely budged in a decade, and last year it got even worse for Black women. The pay gap takes $18,650 out of Black women’s pockets every year. (3) And since the recent financial crisis, the racial wealth gap has doubled: white families now have 22 times the household wealth Black families have. (4)

Microsoft is one of the biggest technology companies on the planet and employs 99,000 people – more than Apple or Google. (5) Despite a public commitment to diversifying their workforce over the last twenty years, less than a third of Microsoft employees are women, and only 3.5% are Black folks. That means the company’s workforce has four times fewer Black people than the American population. (6, 7)

With the CEO’s recent “karma” comment, the country is paying attention to what Microsoft does next. By taking action right now we can ensure that Microsoft releases its pay data — a crucial step in ensuring pay equity for Black people.

Add your name today.

Thanks and peace,

–Arisha, Rashad, Matt, and Bhavik for the ColorOfChange team
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