Glass Ceiling Alive and Well in Claims

According to salary data provided by Payscale, an online compensation data website, female college graduates’ salaries plateau at age 39, while their male counterparts continue to enjoy wage increases until age 48.

Despite BLS statistics indicating 57.4 percent of the 282,000 workers that make up the claims profession are female and female-focused advancement programs abound in the insurance industry, it seems female claims staffers still lag behind their male counterparts when it comes to salary.

“[The] glass ceiling seems alive and well in the claims industry,” according to Demotech Inc. Senior Consultant Paul Osborne’s analysis of the responses to the Claims Journal survey.

But females who hold high positions in claims departments are seemingly unaware of the difference.

“I think there are challenges that everybody faces…I actually think we are in a place that is pretty gender neutral,” said Carol Weber, a senior vice president and worldwide general liability claims manager for Chubb, in an earlier interview on the subject of gender within company claim departments.

Weber’s advice for female adjusters wanting to get ahead:

• Be excellent at your job.
• Constantly look for ways to improve your skills.
• Look for opportunities to participate in projects at the branch or department level, not just within your job focus.
• Look for opportunities to participate in home office sponsored-projects.
• Join a resource group or local branch charitable events.
• Don’t be afraid to take a lateral move.
• Find a mentor or join a mentoring program.
• Always talk to your manager and make your goals known.