Pay and conditions are probably the oldest contentious issues between employees and employers. Some businesses are egalitarian in how they treat people. Many aren't. But employees shouldn't be penalized when companies aren't.

The first step is to do the research to see whether you're underpaid, whether relatively at a company or compared to an industry.

"Research has shown certainly females and underrepresented minorities tend to be the people who are underpaid," Jill Pante, director of the Lerner Career Services Center at the University of Delaware. "I think there are a lot of psychological things around that. Females tend not to advocate for themselves, and I do find there's a large population that's not only underpaid but not taught how to advocate for themselves."