Equal pay analyses: Interim evaluation Art. 13 Gender Equality Act

Interim evaluation of the implementation of Art. 13 GlG, which obliges employers with at least 100 employees to carry out equal pay analyses and have them reviewed, and to inform employees of the results.

Factsheet

Situation

According to the Swiss Federal Constitution, women and men are entitled to equal pay for work of equal value. Since 1 July 2020, the Gender Equality Act has obliged employers with at least 100 employees to analyse equal pay between women and men within the company, have this analysis reviewed externally and inform their employees of the results of the analysis. Over 6000 companies and organisations throughout Switzerland are affected by the regulation. The Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) has commissioned the Diversity & Inclusion department of the New Work Institute at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) together with PrivatePublicConsulting GmbH (PPC) to carry out this mandate until June 2024.

Course of action

By triangulating data from various sources, the aim is to provide as comprehensive an overview as possible of the implementation of Art. 13 GlG to date. The focus is on the following main questions: 1. equal pay analysis: How is the equal pay analysis implemented by employers? 2. review of the equal pay analysis: How are the equal pay analyses reviewed by auditing bodies? 3. information: To what extent do employers communicate the results and consequences of the analyses? Written surveys of employers, employees and auditors as the primary stakeholder groups are used to collect comprehensive data on the implementation and review of equal pay analyses and information on their results. To this end, a full survey will be conducted among the more than 6000 companies and organisations affected by the scheme. This will be followed by in-depth interviews. On the other hand, the insights gained from the written surveys will be further explored in focus discussions with representatives of the various stakeholder groups as well as equal pay experts and organisations involved.

Looking ahead

The interim evaluation is intended to show the implementation of Art. 13 GlG to date. The main aim is to generate findings on the extent to which employers with at least 100 employees have implemented the regulations. The interim evaluation will provide a basis for the final evaluation focussing on the effectiveness of the equal pay analyses.

Illustration von einem Mann und einer Frau, zwischen ihnen sind Münzen und Geld gestapelt.
Frauen und Männer haben das Recht auf gleichen Lohn bei gleicher Arbeit.

This project contributes to the following SDGs

  • 5: Gender equality