human resource (learning portfolio)

This report provides a comprehensive discussion of the gender pay inequality existing in national soccer teams, particularly in the United States. Most importantly, the U.S soccer federation (USSF) failure to accept the U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT)’s claim that there is gender discrimination in compensation rates may destroy the country’s image in civilization. It is worth noting that subjecting soccer national women players to these social injustices does not only affect their economic wellbeing but as well their mental health. Therefore, there is the need to implement a compensation plan that ensures gender equality and protection of human rights as done by the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA)

The U.S soccer federation compensation strategies are different between male and female players. Most importantly, the female players' compensation largely depends on salary guarantees and some performance-based bonuses. On the other hand, male players are only paid when they play, suggesting that they do not earn salaries (Simons, 2021). The difference in compensation strategies between male and female players is because the two parties used different bargaining agreements. For instance, in 2016, the U.S soccer federation proposed to WNT a pay-to-play compensation option but opted for guaranteed compensation (Hussain, 2020). However, it is worth mentioning that the pay-to-play compensation option fell short of what WNT should get. Drawing on Elsesser (2020), for WNT to enjoy the total compensation as men, they should be put under men's contract and not just being subjected to pay-to-play payment.

Further, women’s and men’s national team players are represented by different unions, suggesting that their respective collective bargaining agreements (CBA) are additional. In particular, women national team players operate under a hybrid system in which the U.S soccer federation (USSF) signs sixteen players into full-time contracts. The signed players are typically paid regardless of whether they play or not. Additionally, these players receive a wide range of benefits, including parental leave (Mocio, 2018). However, the remaining players are referred to as non-contract players and are only paid upon upon-call up. On the contrary, all men national team players are treated equally and are compensated based on pay-for-play without full-time contract players (Staff, 2020).

WNT generates revenue from various streams such as attendance and television deals. USSF majorly funds salaries from the revenue generated by WNT. More specifically, the contracted players receive an annual base salary of about $100,000. In addition, USSF decides which players are placed under Tier 1 or Tier 2 positions in which they accept additional yearly payments of $67,500 and $62,500, respectively (Hussain, 2020). In contrast, the non-contracted players are compensated based on seniority; a player with eight or more national team appearances earns $4,000/call up, while those with less than eight appearances earn $3,500. Both contracted, and non-contracted players receive incentive-based bonuses. It is worth noting that men national team players receive compensation just like non-contracted WNT. However, men acquire more incentive-based bonuses than women (Staff, 2020).

The current pay policy would not be a good fit for the Canadian federation. This is because it creates a pay gap, particularly concerning gender. By looking at the incentive-based bonuses, men are usually favored. For example, making a world cup team attracts $68,750 and $37,500 for male and women's players, respectively. More so, WNT receives nothing for a loss, but MNT gets $5,000 per player when they lose to a team ranked beyond the top eight as per the FIFA ranking (Staff, 2020). Although USSF justifies this disparity based on the revenue generated, citing the fact that WNT induces less than MNT, evidence shows otherwise. The reason for this is that U.S WNT has been among the most successful team in the world than their male counterpart by winning major trophies. Despite this, WNT players receive less compensation than MNT players. Therefore, the current policy promotes gender inequality and is grounded within mere facts (Kimbell et al., 2018).

The compensation policies and practices of national team players in Canada are different from those pursued in the U.S. While the United States WNT has attracted headlines in recent years for fighting for gender parity in salary, incentive plans, and benefits, Canada presents a highly different case. This is because the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) has ensured no gender pay inequality in national teams. It is worth noting that CSA pays salaries to its players competing in the professional National Women's Soccer League. However, for those not allocated by the Canadian Federation they are typically paid around $7,200 to $39,700 per season (Strashin, 2016). In contrast, Canadian men's national team players receive compensation based on pay-per-appearance. The logic follows that male players have professional opportunities than their female counterparts. Therefore, there is no need to subsidize them with salaries from the federation (Francis, 2018).

The CSA's commitment to facilitate gender pay parity in the national team was further reiterated by its move to agree on a compensation plan with the Canadian WNT. The deal was supposed to run through the year 2020. It covered Players' roster bonuses, payments, and performance for competitions, including the Women's World Cup, France, 2019, as well as accommodation, traveling, player appearances, and image rights use (Canadian Press, 2020). Drawing on the general secretary of the Canadian Soccer Association, Peter Montopoli, besides Canadian WNT players enjoying the same benefits and incentive plans as Canadian MNT players, the federation has ensured that the per diem remains the same for the two parties (Davidson, 2019). This is important to reduce gender discrimination and appreciate the outstanding achievement of the Canadian WNT. They have participated in the last six World Cup appearances and won Olympic bronze back in 2012. It is disgusting to see that the U.S WNT players do not enjoy these privileges despite achieving more successes than their male counterparts.

The CSA has been acclaimed for its significant role in ensuring gender parity in compensation between men’s national team players and women's national team players. However, the soccer federation has failed to disclose players' salaries, benefits, and compensation plans. In this regard, it remains unclear to the public whether players are subjected to different compensation rates. CSA usually defends this failure to the claim that compensation is a component of the players' agreement; hence it is confidential (Davidson, 2019). Nonetheless, this is a logical fallacy, and one can CSA automatically argue that CSA fears public scrutiny. If it is true that there is no gender disparity in compensation among national team players, as CSA claim, why not disclose the information. In other words, are they insinuating that the United States does not value the privacy of its national team players? This is where CSA has failed terribly because the public needs to know the Canadian national team compensation rates to enhance accountability and social justice. Therefore, USSF performed better in this dimension than CSA.

Women's soccer is considered among the global fastest-growing sports, with estimates indicating approximately 30 million players worldwide (Archer & Prange, 2019). Despite an increase in its popularity, women players still receive less compensation than male players. It is on this notion that several concepts and movements such as equal-pay-for-equal-work have emerged for the need to promote gender parity in soccer. As demonstrated in this report, relevant authorities should ensure that salaries, incentive plans, and benefits should be implemented equally, irrespective of gender. Compensation rates should be disclosed to the public to ensure consistency of what is said and done by the federation. However, it is worth mentioning that the potential future compensation plan developed around the suggested attributes will have several impacts on soccer players. Most importantly, players will need to work under similar contracts across gender (Perras, 2019). In this regard, the CSA would need to consider various law elements to ensure that they are consistent with the formulated plan.

Effective operation of the potential future compensation plan depends on how consistent it is with the employment labor laws. To achieve this, CSA needs to incorporate various aspects of the law into the project, such as wages, benefits and deductions, flexible work arrangements, termination of the contract, employers' obligations, complaints' filing, and vacation and holiday. This is critical to ensure that the players and CSA engage in a healthy agreement (Government of Canada, 2021). Additionally, CSA must adopt the pay equity plan as postulated in Pay Equity Act for maintaining pay equity and closing any pay gap (Government of Canada, 2021b). Further, incorporating into the compensation, CSA should ensure that all national team players have the same opportunities (Lewans, 2018). Moreover, the federation should establish a common ground with the unions that revolve around players' welfare.

The historical injustices that women experienced in different world civilization stages provide a reasonable ground on why it is morally right to promote gender pay parity among soccer players. The USSF has defied this claim by perpetuating gender inequality in the compensation rate in national team players. It is the most devastating thing, given that the U.S is considered to be the most democratic and civilized country in the country. While Canadian CSA may appear transparent in promoting gender equality, it has not disclosed the compensation rate. Therefore, an effective plan should ensure that it is delicate and grounded within relevant laws.

Archer, A., & Prange, M. (2019). 'Equal play, equal pay: moral grounds for equal pay in football. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 46(3), 416-436.

Canadian Press. (2020, March 3). Canada women's soccer team works out labor deal for World Cup, 2020 Olympics. Thespec.Com. https://www.thespec.com/sports/2019/03/29/canada-women-s-soccer-team-works-out-labour-deal-for-world-cup-2020-olympics.html