I almost signed the contract and returned it without a second thought.
My yoga teaching gig was up for renewal, and the quoted hourly rate was the same as the previous year’s. The number still seemed pretty high to me compared to my experience teaching in Texas, where the standard rate was half as much as in New York.
But I didn’t send the contract back right away. I’m immersed in the personal finance world and write a lot about women, careers, and negotiation, so I knew I needed to at least attempt to get a higher rate. The tricky part was the director. I had worked with them going on three years, and I felt awkward asking for more since I thought the rate seemed fair.
So, I decided to ask indirectly. This is what I wrote back in an email: “As for payment, I do have to ask (since I work for a company that’s all about gender pay parity!), is that what [name of the male instructor] makes?”