EQUAL PAY: THE IMPORTANCE OF POSITIVE ACTIONS

EQUAL PAY: THE IMPORTANCE OF POSITIVE ACTIONS

4 Apr 2025

Vevey, Switzerland, March 31, 2025 – The Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs (DFI) recently published a concerning report on the implementation of the new equality law in Switzerland. According to this report, half of the companies concerned are not meeting their legal obligations. The EQUAL-SALARY Foundation aims to respond to this inaction – and to the growing global pushback against the very foundations of equality – with concrete action. Now more than ever, we find it essential to demonstrate that there are individuals – and companies – committed to equality, good governance, and compliance with established legal and social standards.

“Now more than ever, the fight for equal pay must remain a top priority – and even be strengthened. It is a responsibility we must all uphold. The new Equal Pay certification is here to support organizations in their commitment to upholding a fundamental and non-negotiable right: equal pay for equal work.”.

Simonetta Sommaruga, President of the EQUAL-SALARY Foundation.

To support these positive and voluntary efforts, and with over fifteen years of experience in closing the gender pay gap, the non-profit EQUAL-SALARY Foundation is launching a new certification: Equal Pay, by EQUAL-SALARY. This accessible solution allows companies to prove their commitment and quickly position themselves as responsible and exemplary employers.

Key Features of Equal Pay, by EQUAL-SALARY

This new certification provides a concrete and rapid response for organizations wishing to ensure equal pay for equal work and work of equal value. The process includes a statistical salary analysis, identification of potential pay gaps requiring special attention, as well as an interim verification to ensure continued compliance with the certification at mid-term and to promote continuous improvement in pay equity. By adopting this neutral and internationally recognized certification, companies stand out and guarantee their compliance with legal requirements, but above all, they demonstrate their proactive commitment to promoting fair and sustainable remuneration based on objective criteria.

For more information, please visit: https://www.equalsalary.org/certification-equal-pay/

To view the list of certified companies: https://www.equalsalary.org//entreprises-certifiees

About the EQUAL-SALARY Foundation

EQUAL-SALARY is a non-profit foundation established in 2010 that offers companies a certification process based on a rigorous, practical, and scientific methodology comparable to an ISO standard for salaries and processes. The development of the EQUAL-SALARY certification was financially supported by the Swiss Federal Office for Gender Equality (BFEG), and its methodology was developed in collaboration with the University of Geneva and the Geneva School of Business Administration (HEG Genève). EQUAL-SALARY is a member of EPIC – the International Coalition for Equal Pay – the United Nations Global Compact, and the Pay Transparency Alliance.

To date, the EQUAL-SALARY Foundation has certified companies in over 90 countries, involving nearly half a million employees. Several companies have renewed their commitment up to six times, demonstrating a strong will to promote justice, strengthen trust, and respect among their employees, clients, and partners. A company certified by EQUAL-SALARY is in an excellent position to attract and retain talent and to prove its adherence to good governance principles.


 

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Bridging the Pay Gap : Key Takeaways from the Czech Side Event at CSW69

Bridging the Pay Gap : Key Takeaways from the Czech Side Event at CSW69

4 Apr 2025

At the CSW69 side event, "It All Comes Down to Money! Care, the Value of Work & the Multifaceted Pay Gap," hosted by the Czech Government and the Equal Pay Project, experts from international organizations, governments, and academia engaged in a compelling discussion on the persistent gender pay gap (GPG) and the structural barriers reinforcing it.

Czech Republic’s Commitment to Equal Pay

In his opening remarks, Minister Martin Dvořák emphasized Czechia’s commitment to tackling gender-based pay disparities, particularly for women in caregiving roles. He highlighted how Czechia’s Gender Equality Strategy 2021-2030 and the Action Plan for Equal Pay 2023-2026 are actively working to close the GPG through greater pay transparency, career progression opportunities, and addressing occupational segregation.

Additionally, he noted that Czechia is in the process of implementing the European Pay Transparency Directive into national law. To support employers, Czechia is introducing Equal Pay Audits and pay structure analysis tools, ensuring that businesses—especially small and medium-sized enterprises—can identify and address wage disparities. Recognizing that caregiving responsibilities should not fall solely on women, Czechia is also funding initiatives that encourage greater male involvement in caregiving, aiming to break long-standing gender norms.

Gender Pay Gap: A Persistent Challenge

Ms. Emanuela Pozzan (ILO/EPIC) highlighted that the GPG remains one of the most enduring inequalities globally. Despite progress, deep-rooted biases, occupational segregation, and the undervaluation of care work continue to perpetuate disparities. She emphasized that closing the GPG is not just a social justice issue but also an economic necessity. The platform economy, she noted, risks replicating traditional patterns of discrimination, further complicating efforts to achieve pay equity.

The Estonian Perspective: The Highest GPG in the EU

Ms. Marianne Mikko (CEDAW, Estonia) shed light on Estonia’s position as the EU country with the largest GPG. While the post-Soviet transition brought significant change, entrenched gender stereotypes and the concentration of women in lower-paid sectors, particularly outside the lucrative ICT industry, continue to hinder progress. She emphasized CEDAW’s role in defining and enforcing legal standards for gender equality.

The Need for Data & Research

Dr. Jemimah Njuki (UN Women) stressed the importance of accurate data collection in addressing the GPG. Many governments and companies claim they do not have a GPG problem—until they examine their data. She highlighted that lower wages for women often stem from a combination of unpaid labor responsibilities, gendered sectoral concentration, and implicit biases. She called for intersectional analysis and stronger employer accountability, urging stakeholders to join the EPIC initiative to drive change.

She presented findings from UN Women’s groundbreaking research, "Why Women Earn Less," which analyzed labor market inequalities in East and Southern Africa. Key insights from the study include:

- The raw gender pay gap in the region is 19% per hour, while the adjusted gap is 8%, meaning women earn 81 cents for every dollar earned by men.
- Pay gaps vary significantly across countries; in Namibia and Mauritius, adjusted gaps exceed raw gaps, while in Mozambique and Tanzania, the gap is statistically insignificant.
- Monthly gender pay gaps are higher than hourly ones due to women engaging in five fewer hours of paid work per week.
- Women with lower education levels face greater income inequalities, with those having only primary education earning 31% less than men.
- Occupational and sectoral segregation contribute significantly to wage disparities, especially in fields where women are overrepresented, such as domestic work, health, and education.
- Gender pay gaps are notably larger in informal employment compared to formal employment.
- Unobservable factors, potentially including discrimination, play a significant role in perpetuating the gender pay gap.

Australia’s Commitment to Structural Reform

Ms. Padma Raman (Australia) shared Australia’s proactive approach to tackling the GPG, emphasizing the need for deliberate, structural interventions. Measures such as accessible childcare, fair parental leave policies, and better remuneration in the care sector have been instrumental. The country’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency publishes firm-level GPG data, driving competition among businesses to improve their gender balance. Transparency has empowered women to choose employers who are committed to pay equity.

Legal and Policy Approaches to Equal Pay

Dr. Barbara Havelkova discussed the evolution of EU equal pay legislation since the 1960s, emphasizing the need for bolder action. She advocated for stronger transparency measures, employer accountability, and institutional mechanisms such as labour inspectorates to enforce compliance. While the new EU Pay Transparency Directive is a step forward, she noted that it remains "extremely soft" and will benefit less-segregated workplaces more than highly gendered industries.

Moving Forward: Action & Accountability

Throughout the event, speakers underscored that closing the GPG requires multi-faceted solutions, including:

  • Stronger legal enforcement and employer accountability.
  • Structural economic reforms, including fair wages in undervalued sectors, especially the care sector.
  • Investment in data collection to measure and address disparities, including informal labour contributions.
  • Education and mentoring programs to encourage women in STEM and high-paying industries
  • Advocacy for equal remuneration laws and policies that ensure non-discrimination in hiring and promotion.
  • Promotion of work-life balance through investment in social services, infrastructure, and support for unpaid care work.
  • Challenge discriminatory norms and encourage women’s access to high-paying fields.

The key message? Change is possible—but only with commitment, transparency, and collective action.

Brazil Launches National Plan to Advance Equal Pay and Gender Equality in the Workplace

Brazil Launches National Plan to Advance Equal Pay and Gender Equality in the Workplace

4 Apr 2025

In a major step forward for gender equality, the Brazilian federal government has launched the National Plan for Equal Pay and Labour between Women and Men, which will guide national efforts through 2027. The plan lays out a clear framework of policies and practical measures designed to close the gender pay gap and promote equal opportunities for women in the world of work.

At its core, the plan focuses on breaking down the systemic barriers that continue to hinder women’s full participation and advancement in the labour market. It is built around three key pillars:

1. Access and Entry into the Workforce

This pillar aims to expand women’s participation in the labour market by addressing the structural challenges that prevent women - especially those from marginalized backgrounds- from entering the workforce on equal footing with men.

2. Support for Women to Stay and Thrive in the Workplace

Beyond access, the plan acknowledges the importance of helping women remain in employment. It supports measures to improve work-life balance and promote the shared responsibility of caregiving, making it easier for women to build long-term careers without being forced out due to family obligations.

3. Advancement and Recognition of Women’s Work

To ensure women can reach their full professional potential, the plan encourages efforts to promote women’s career advancement—especially in STEM fields and leadership roles. This includes initiatives aimed at young women, helping them access traditionally male-dominated sectors and climb the career ladder.

By addressing these three areas, the National Plan sends a strong signal: Brazil is committed to building a fairer, more inclusive labour market - one where women’s contributions are valued equally, and their opportunities for growth are unrestricted.

As the plan moves from design to implementation, it marks a critical opportunity for employers, policymakers, and civil society to work together in making equal pay not just a policy goal, but a national standard.

Brazil Advances Equal Pay Agenda with Strong Legislative Framework and New Initiatives in 2025

Brazil Advances Equal Pay Agenda with Strong Legislative Framework and New Initiatives in 2025

4 Apr 2025

Brazil is taking decisive steps in 2025 to strengthen its commitment to closing the gender pay gap and ensuring equal pay for work of equal value. Building on a solid legislative foundation established in recent years, the country continues to roll out new tools, partnerships, and initiatives aimed at embedding pay equity across both public and private sectors.

At the heart of this progress is Law No. 14,611/2023, enacted in July 2023, which sets out clear obligations for employers to ensure equal remuneration between men and women. This landmark law is complemented by Decree No. 11,795/2023, Ordinance No. 3,714/2023, and MTE Normative Instruction No. 06/2024, all of which provide the necessary administrative guidance and data transparency mechanisms to support implementation.

Key Developments in 2025

One of the year’s major milestones is the publication of Brazil’s third Equal Pay Report, providing valuable insight into wage disparities and progress made. To further institutionalize this effort, the government is establishing a dedicated management committee tasked with monitoring the implementation and outcomes of the National Plan for Equal Pay.

Recognizing the role of social dialogue, Brazil will also launch a collective bargaining booklet to encourage the inclusion of equal pay clauses in union agreements and conventions—ensuring that pay equity is embedded in the fabric of workplace negotiations.

Looking ahead to April, Brazil plans to officially launch the Equal Pay Movement, a multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at mobilizing businesses, workers, and civil society in a collective commitment to promote equal pay in the workplace. By joining the movement, participants signal their active support for a fairer, more inclusive labour market.

Highlights from Q1: January – March 2025

Brazil’s efforts in the first quarter of 2025 demonstrate a strong alignment between policy and practice:

  • January 2025: The Ministry of Labour and Employment (MTE) updated the employers’ questionnaire on the Portal Emprega Brasil to gather data for the third Equal Pay Report. Internal meetings were held to coordinate the report’s development and the broader implementation of Law 14,611/2023.
  • February 2025: Technical consultations were conducted with representatives from various sectors to review progress and collect supplemental data for the report. These collaborative sessions ensured that all voices were heard in the data collection process.
  • March 2025: The MTE participated in several technical meetings and national seminars focused on equal pay. These forums facilitated the exchange of good practices and culminated in the official publication of the third Equal Pay Report.

 

Driving Fair Pay in 2025: From Frameworks to Digital Platforms

Driving Fair Pay in 2025: From Frameworks to Digital Platforms

4 Apr 2025

As momentum continues to build around equal pay legislation and corporate accountability across Europe and the rest of the world, organisations are under increasing pressure to ensure that their compensation practices are fair, transparent, and evidence-based. The focus is shifting beyond compliance: companies are now looking for practical tools and data-informed insights that support sustainable, fair pay strategies.

To effectively address today’s compensation challenges, organisations increasingly rely on structured, evidence-based frameworks supported by modern digital tools. Research and best practices in compensation and benefits consistently highlight the value of moving from fragmented, reactive processes to integrated, data-driven systems. A well-designed, digitally enabled approach empowers organisations to promote internal equity, enhance transparency, and make more strategic workforce planning decisions.

However, tools and frameworks alone are not enough. A genuine organisational commitment to fair pay is essential. Without clear support from leadership and a shared belief in the value of equity, even the most sophisticated solutions risk becoming little more than symbolic gestures. When embraced with intent, though, fair pay becomes a powerful lever—not only for compliance, but for trust, motivation, and long-term performance.

From Framework to Practice: A Client Use Case

A practical illustration of this transformation can be found in a recent project at Holcim Europe—a global building materials corporation who have also made a clear commitment to gender equality and fair pay for work of equal value—aligning their compensation strategies not only with evolving legal standards but with their own values and ESG priorities. While the company had already implemented SAP SuccessFactors across 19 European entities, local payroll systems remained diverse and disconnected. This created challenges in consolidating compensation data, identifying pay disparities across countries, and aligning reward practices with internal policies and external benchmarks.

To address these issues, Holcim initiated a compensation transformation project together with 1H1—a Switzerland-based consulting company specialised in fair and competitive pay solutions—using their Fair Pay Framework supported by a flexible digital solution based on MS Power BI. The goal was to centralise and standardise compensation data and build internal capabilities to analyse pay from multiple angles:

  • External Market Competitiveness (via benchmark data)
  • Internal Pay Structure (through pay bands)
  • Internal Equity (measured using compa-ratio analysis)

By following the framework’s structured guidance on establishing, validating, and communicating compensation structures and policies, the digital tools served as strategic enablers rather than simple data processors.

A critical factor in this success was the consistent emphasis on fair pay for work of equal value—a principle that aligned closely with the company’s broader diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments.

With enhanced transparency into how pay levels were defined and applied, Holcim was able to:

  • Gain insights into retention risks linked to compensation.
  • Implement fairer and more consistent approaches to pay decisions for new hires and internal transfers.
  • Improve cost and budget control through more efficient tracking and forecasting.

According to Marjana Bonaca, Head of Compensation & Benefits Europe at Holcim:

"What really helped—beyond having access to the data—was the smart visualisation of key KPIs, which made our decision-making process faster and more effective. We’re now planning to build on this work by taking a more holistic view of remuneration, including total cost of ownership."

The success of this project illustrates how combining job architecture, pay diagnostics, and visual analytics with a clear change management strategy that also addresses all relevant stakeholders with a tailored communication and training concept can lead to greater acceptance and alignment within the organisation

Digital Shift: The Road to TRANSPAYRENCY.ORG

To further promote the idea of fair pay and scale this impact, 1H1 has been developing a new platform—TRANSPAYRENCY.ORG— which is set to launch in Q3 2025. The platform will equip organisations with tools to systematically monitor, analyse, and address pay equity, enabling data-driven decision-making and strategic interventions across compensation and people practices.

The platform builds on deeply rooted knowledge and first-hand experience from years of consulting work, where many organisations moved from manual, Excel-based tracking to more secure and dynamic digital environments. 

A 2025 Perspective on Fair Pay

Looking ahead, the path to fair pay in 2025 and beyond will increasingly rely on a combination of structured frameworks and scalable technology. Whether through tailored consulting engagements or self-service digital platforms, organisations must ensure that pay equity is not only monitored—but actively and consistently managed.

Frameworks provide the structural foundation for consistent job architecture, pay level benchmarking, and equity diagnostics, while technology enables the agility, transparency, and scalability needed to operationalise and sustain these practices effectively. When both elements work in tandem, they enable compensation systems that support fairness, compliance, and sustainable business performance.

As regulatory requirements grow and employee expectations around pay transparency and equity continue to intensify, tools that make fair pay measurable, auditable, and actionable are becoming essential. Digital solutions and platforms serve as critical enablers—translating policy into practice by embedding fairness into everyday organizational processes through the integration of data, governance, and technology.

“At 1H1, we believe that pay equity should not be seen solely as a compliance requirement, but as a strategic leadership imperative,” says Christopher Jereb, CEO of 1H1. “For any organization committed to credibility, trust, and long-term performance, fair pay is more than just the right thing to do—it is a smart, future-focused investment in our people, our business, and society as a whole.

1H1

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University of Talca

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Chile

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Bandera Chile

Mind the gap: Why women in Pakistan earn less than men and what we can do about it (ILO)

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Why women earn less – and how to fix it (by Government of Pakistan and the ILO)

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