Equal pay: federal government presents modernised self-analysis tool
Bern, 29.06.2020 - The revised Gender Equality Act comes into force on 1 July. This means that employers with 100 or more staff are required to conduct an equal pay analysis. The aim is to implement the constitutional entitlement to equal pay for work of equal value. To help achieve this, the federal government is to make Logib, its standard analysis tool, available to employers as a web-based application.
As of 1 July, the Gender Equality Act contains provisions on equal pay for employers with 100 or more staff. They are now required to carry out an equal pay analysis by 30 June 2021, have the results verified by an independent body by 30 June 2022, and present them to staff and shareholders no later than 30 June 2023.
Logib now available as web-based application
To help employers conduct analyses on equal pay, the federal government made a tool available to employers. Logib was originally developed as an Excel-based tool in the early 2000s, but is now being replaced by an up-to-date web-based version from 1 July. The new web application also offers a high data protection standard. It is now even easier to use thanks to its step-by-step user guide, and in addition to the actual equal pay analysis, also offers further reports and indicators on gender-specific disparities.
Logib has been upgraded in stages, and successfully tested during a pilot phase with HR specialists from various companies. The upgrade of the standard analysis tool is part of the federal government's strategy to promote digital transformation in the Federal Administration and the wider economy.
Equal pay through equal pay analyses
Employers in Switzerland are required to provide equal pay. Under Art. 8, para. 3 of the constitution, men and women are entitled to equal pay for work of equal value. Despite this, the average difference in pay between men and women is 7.7% according to the Earnings Structure Survey conducted by the Federal Statistical Office (2016). That amounts to 642 francs a month.
Equal pay analyses are an important tool in promoting equal pay. Surveys show that half of all employers that have conducted an analysis using Logib subsequently adapted the wages they pay. This impact has also received international acknowledgment: Logib was recognised with the United Nations Public Service Award in 2018, and this year received the EPIC Good Practice Label from the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), founded by the ILO, UN Women and the OECD.
First revision of the Gender Equality Act since coming into force
The revision of the Gender Equality Act provides broader support for equal pay analyses in Switzerland. Employers with 100 or more staff account for around 1% of employers in Switzerland and employ 48% of workers according to the Federal Statistical Office (STATENT 2017).
Gender equality has been enshrined in the Swiss constitution since 1981. The Gender Equality Act came into force in 1996; it prohibits direct and indirect discrimination in all employment relationships. This revision regarding the provisions on equal pay analyses is the first since the Gender Equality Act came into force.
Address for enquiries
Federal Office for Gender Equality
Schwarztorstrasse 51
3003 Bern
Publisher
Federal Office for Gender Equality
https://www.ebg.admin.ch/en
General Secretariat FDHA
http://www.edi.admin.ch
