It isn’t a dirty little secret anymore. Most people realize that there is a gender wage gap. Women earn less than men for doing the same work. Yet another report, based out of the University of Ottawa this week, shed light on this reality. For college graduates, at time of entering the workforce, the gap is 25%. Like climate change many organizations don’t seem to pay much attention to the nagging problem. If they did, it wouldn’t still be a problem.

Apart from being illegal, immoral, and irresponsible, ignoring the wage gap problem is just plain stupid. But then again so are a lot of things we do subconsciously or without thinking about the consequences. Consider this. You’re an executive in a mid-size organization and things are chugging along nicely. Sales are at their highest levels, you have a good pipeline, costs seem reasonably in line, profits are strong again, and you’re drawing a healthy bonus. Tickity boo. Then – boom – 30% of your workforce begins to unravel. They’re pissed! They begin to realize that you’ve been paying Harry a lot more than Sally. Then they realize that you’ve been paying most of the Harry’s a lot more than most of the Sallys. Their data about your payroll is anecdotal, just water cooler chatter, but to them its very real. Their ‘give a s**t factor’ declines rapidly, they slow down their work efforts, they leave for greener pastures, and you’re left with a big mess. Your mess.

Wake up Scrooge! If the data from the University of Ottawa based study and the hundreds of other studies showing that we pay women less than men for the same work is real for social scientists, then surely its real for at least some of you. At least some executives are guilty of something here. Yes, you too probably don’t even realize that you have a problem. Here’s an idea. Do the math, look under the numbers, resist rationalizing the individual cases. Stop coming to the conclusion that, “we’re OK but thanks for the data.” It may not bee too late to avoid one of the hashtags potentially coming your way. Moreover, it may not be too late to just do the right thing, and the smart thing. According to good research, women (in our example here 30% of your workforce) are the ones making things tickity boo for your business today. Don’t take your success, or their contribution for granted. Don’t be on the wrong side of history. Act now, time may be up sooner than you think.