EPIC

Equal pay can’t wait another day

Submitted by ep_admin on Fri, 06/25/2021 - 05:30

Equal pay can’t wait another day

25 Jun 2021

An intergenerational dialogue on closing the gender pay gap for Generation Equality, Tuesday 29 June 2021

The Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) – a multi-stakeholder partnership led by the ILO, UN Women and the OECD working to reduce the gender pay gap – would like to formally invite you to the virtual intergenerational dialogue, Equal pay can’t wait another day, taking place from 9 to 10am EDT (NYC), 3 to 4pm CEST (Paris), 8 to 9am CDT (Mexico City) on 29 June 2021 ahead of the Generation Equality Forum in Paris.

Closing the global gender pay gap is critical to achieving the ambitions of the Generation Equality Forum’s Action Coalition on Economic Justice and Rights – a vision defined by equitable, gender-responsive systems, nondiscriminatory labour markets, and care-inclusive economies resilient to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, equal pay will reinforce the achievement of progress towards the Action Coalition’s efforts for the realization of decent work for women.

It is in this context that EPIC will bring together thought leaders from across regions and sectors at different stages of their careers in conversation to discuss how the pay gap reflects in the life cycle. Each speaker will discuss her respective experience with the pay gap and discriminatory (or inclusive) employment practices, with the event culminating in a solutions-oriented, moderated discussion on the achievement of equal pay for work of equal value through the employment of an intersectional, intergenerational and multi-regional lens. The moderator will also call upon the audience via chat box and live Mentimeter questions to foster a dynamic and interactive conversation. The event will be led in English with live interpretation in Spanish and French.

We hope to see you there! Register here.

Job Comparison in Relation to Pay Equity - Ontario’s Approach to Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value

Submitted by ep_admin on Wed, 06/16/2021 - 05:30

Job Comparison in Relation to Pay Equity - Ontario’s Approach to Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value

16 Jun 2021

Canada has been a proud member of the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) since its launch at the UN General Assembly in September 2017. Moreover, Canada will be honoured to take on the role of Chair of the EPIC Steering Committee beginning in January 2022. When EPIC approached the Ontario Pay Equity Office (PEO) to participate in a Peer-2-Peer learning opportunity for our Czech colleagues, it was an opportunity not to be missed. During this workshop, we shared our experience and methodologies in ensuring equal pay for work of equal value as an approach to closing the gender wage gap.

The team that makes up the PEO is committed to redressing the systemic devaluation of work based on gender, and to enhancing women’s economic empowerment through education that elevates the equity conversation. This is why we were honoured to present Ontario’s experiences and to learn from our Czech colleagues.

The Czech Republic has already made admirable progress in redressing gender wage gap, much of it due to the tremendous efforts and dedicated work of the “22% Towards Equality Project”. It was inspiring to learn more about the project’s focus on awareness-raising and the elaboration of specific tools, such as a Payroll and Salary Calculator, and the adaptation of the Swiss Logib tool to meet the specific needs of the Czech Republic, and many more initiatives.

Ontario’s PEO was invited to share insights into the practical application of Ontario’s Pay Equity Act, and how experts from the field of equitable remuneration and compensation specialists can leverage it in their work. Ontario was the first government globally to pass a pay equity statute. In 1997, the Gender Wage Gap in both Canada and Ontario was 18%. In Ontario, it last measured at 12.2% in 2018, with the Canadian average at 13.3%. While there are multiple ways to measure the gap, every single province across Canada has decreased its gender wage gap by 6-13% since 1997. Progress is being made incrementally, not only a result of the Pay Equity Act as a legislative tool, but also a result of key stakeholders advocating for various tools and programs to address wage inequity, bias, and stereotypes that devalue women’s work.

The global pandemic has made targeting the gender gap an even more pressing matter, both now and for the foreseeable future. In her opening remarks, Ontario Pay Equity Commissioner, Kadie Ward, stressed the sense of urgency to closing the gender gap as the twin economic and health crises we are currently experiencing have the potential to roll back gender equality and the gains it has brought to workforces in Canada and globally. No country in the world will be able to bounce back from the economic recession without full and equitable women’s economic inclusion.

PEO Senior Review Officer, Beth Collins Kelly, led a technical workshop on the “how” of pay equity analysis, including gender-neutral methods for quantifying the relative value of various job classes within an organization through a gender-neutral lens. How can a company say that a janitor (stereotypical male job) provides more value than a secretary (stereotypical female job) and pay the male janitor more than a female secretary? When we look at the factors of skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions through methodologies like job-to-job comparison, or proportional value, we can quantify the value of what a “job class” brings to an organization and determine if there is systemic devaluation of a job because it is held by a woman. If there is, a Pay Equity Officer can issue an order to that employer to adjust the wages of the underpaid female jobs.

The PEO outlined the reasoning behind its approach and illustrations of key steps in the quantification process to a group of more than 30 professionals attending this tailor-made workshop. A stimulating and engaging Q&A session, moderated by the organizers, let the group dive even deeper into the technical aspects of quantifying the value of jobs in a gender-neutral manner. Together, we discussed ongoing monitoring of pay equity once achieved, how many women benefit each year from wage adjustments that result from the PEO’s investigations, the role of the PEO in supporting employers, and much more. As we indicated during the presentation, a number of additional useful tools and methods, including a Step by Step to Pay Equity guide, a case study and a sample pay equity plan, can be found at the Guides and E-tools section of the PEO web site.

EPIC is a unique and critically important organization that serves as a rich source for learning best practices and networking with your counterparts from other jurisdictions, as was perfectly demonstrated by this joint Ontario-Czech Republic event. EPIC members willingly and openly shared experiences and good practices to close the gap in their countries and organizations. Leveraging these expertise benefits both sides and contributes to redressing the gender wage gaps globally as well as locally. Mutual reinforcement, experience exchange and comprehensive support are at the very essence of the Equal Pay International Coalition, and the Ontario Pay Equity Office is committed to these values. The PEO team sincerely hopes that this workshop was useful to our colleagues and would encourage other jurisdictions to join with international partners through EPIC.

Guidance on Gender Equality and Non-discrimination for Employers

Submitted by ep_admin on Tue, 05/25/2021 - 05:30

Guidance on Gender Equality and Non-discrimination for Employers

25 May 2021

On 1 March 2021, the Confederation of Employers of Ukraine presented the Guidance on Gender Equality and Non-discrimination for Employers.

According to Oleksii Miroshnychenko, Confederation’s Executive Vice President, “the Guidance, developed with support from the International Labour Organization in Ukraine, is aimed at assisting employers in practical implementation of the rather complicated and diverse Ukrainian legislation on gender issues and non-discrimination”.

In her welcome speech, Kateryna Levchenko, Governmental Commissioner on Gender Policy, emphasized the importance of applying the Guidance both by state-owned and private enterprises: “To state-owned enterprises and the state as the largest employer, it is important to understand the principles and practical aspects of the use of the gender and non-discrimination legislation, and in this aspect the Guidance is surely an important document answering the question on how to do that”.

Sergiy Savchuk, ILO National Coordinator in Ukraine, underlined the importance of the Guidance as a practical tool for implementation of a number of the ILO Conventions in Ukraine, particularly the Convention concerning Equal Opportunities and Equal Treatment for Men and Women Workers: Workers with Family Responsibilities (No. 156), the Convention concerning Equal Remuneration of Men and Women Workers for Work of Equal Value (No. 100), and some other.

According to Julia Drumea, Senior Specialist for activities of employers’ organizations at the ILO Office for Central and Eastern Europe, the Guidance, developed on the basis of well-established practices of many countries with account of the Ukrainian specifics, provides a good foundation for disseminating national and international best practices on the application of the gender and non-discrimination legislation.

Speaking of a way forward, the presentation participants unanimously stated that development of the Guidance should not stop on the very fact of its drafting. “The Guidance is a live document that should change depending on legislative amendments, realities and challenges of time”, Oleksii Miroshnychenko pointed out during a panel discussion.

Luxembourg supports the Equal Pay International Coalition

Submitted by ep_admin on Tue, 04/06/2021 - 05:30

Luxembourg supports the Equal Pay International Coalition

6 Apr 2021

Taina Bofferding, the Minister for Equality between women and men, explains why Luxembourg has decided to join the coalition and why gender equality matters to the country.

Why has equal pay for work of equal value become one of the priorities of the Luxembourg public policy agenda?

Equal pay for women and men is an essential factor in Luxembourg’s public policies to ensure that the work of all is recognised. When we commit ourselves to equality between women and men, there are several aspects for me as a socialist minister:

• the collective dimension with social justice to enable equal rights and solidarity between women and men;
• the individual dimension with the recognition of the potential and talent of every person;
• the economic dimension by encouraging women and men to study and ensuring that their skills and commitments are honoured in the labour market without making a difference between the genders;
• the dimension of a societal project – we want an inclusive society in which all people flourish without being held back by gender stereotypes.

Ensuring equal pay for work of equal value is ultimately a way of implementing these convictions.

 

Why has Luxembourg joined the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC)?

Since 2016, Luxembourg has had an equal pay law as part of the Labour Code. Unequal pay has been made an offence. This means in concrete terms that equal pay must be respected by companies. Employees can voice their concerns and demand their rights to equal pay for work of equal value. This provides an important basis.

Secondly and additionally, we work on a daily basis with companies, staff delegations and social partner representatives to raise awareness and provide concrete tools for equal pay.

By joining EPIC, we are making a strong commitment to an equal and inclusive world of work. We hope to be able to exchange good practices to continue to move forward. It is through collaboration and the exchange of experience and expertise that we can ensure equal pay in the long term.

 

According to the latest data from the European Commission, Luxembourg has the smallest gender pay gap of the 27 EU Member States (it is 1.4%). Could you describe the path that has led to this result?

In recent years Luxembourg has been able to reduce the gender gap in gross hourly pay. The 2016 law strengthened the existing framework and re-launched discussions on the importance of equal pay. At the same time, work on the ground with companies has also been strengthened, in particular with the Ministry of Equality’s Positive Actions programme , which supports and certifies good practices in the area of equal treatment. The Ministry also makes software available free of charge to all companies to measure pay gaps.

In addition, I would like to highlight mechanisms that also serve equal pay:

• National mechanisms such as indexation of wages to the cost of living and regular adjustments to the social minimum wage.

• Collective agreements negotiated between the social partners which, according to the Labour Code, must include provisions for the application of the principle of equal pay for women and men.

Our commitments have thus borne fruit. At the same time, I would like to stress that equality between women and men at work is an ongoing process. It is necessary to regularly diagnose the situation, identify areas for improvement and give ourselves the means to act. In order to make equality a reality, I want to continue to work towards a better gender mix in economic decision-making, and above all to act on the phenomena of vertical and horizontal segregation.

Our education policies must serve to overcome gender stereotypes from the earliest age. The future is digital. It cannot be reserved for one gender. It is therefore important for me to encourage women and girls to find their place in the future professions of the digital sector.

 

What are the obstacles your country has faced in improving women’s income?

Equal treatment is an ongoing commitment. In recent years the percentage of women active in the labour market has increased significantly. But, as recent data from the national statistics office in Luxembourg show, out of 100 people in employment there are 38 women for every 62 men. This means that we must do more to encourage the potential of women and enable them to be and remain in employment. We need to prevent women from leaving the labour market altogether when they have a child.

In this way, we are working to support women and men to better reconcile work and private life. Part-time work is often taken by women, but very little by men. The Luxembourg government therefore supports a strong social policy to ensure that mothers and fathers can be involved in working life and in their family life. If we want to improve incomes, ensure pensions and avoid the risks of precariousness, we must continue to act on these elements.

Fair Pay Political Roundtable @ CSW

Submitted by ep_admin on Mon, 03/29/2021 - 05:30

Fair Pay Political Roundtable @ CSW

29 Mar 2021

As part of the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Fair Pay Innovation Lab teamed up with PES Women, Foundation for European Progressive Studies and Foundation Jean-Jaurès to organize a virtual Fair Pay Political Roundtable on March 16, 2021.

Commissioner for Equality at the European Commission, Helena Dalli, set the scene in her keynote address. This March, the European Commission published a bold and far-reaching draft for a directive on pay transparency. With this directive, the European Commission would set new standards on fair pay in Europe.

In the following panel discussion, a truly international debate on fair pay was witnessed. Manuela Tomei, Director of the Conditions of Work and Equality Department at the ILO, elaborated on the latest research and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on fair pay. The first Federal Equal Pay Commissioner of Canada, Karen Jensen, discussed latest legislative changes and the ongoing development of tools for companies and organizations to measure equal pay for work of equal value. Alex Chadwick, Manager at the Gender Pay Gap Taskforce at the Public Service Commission New Zealand, clearly demonstrated that legislation has a positive impact. Due to latest changes on legal requirements, the gender pay gap in the public sector in New Zealand had decreased significantly. Birte Meier, Journalist, stated that national laws would only have a major impact when they targeted remuneration structures. Individual action only had a limited effect, as the individual right to disclosure in the German Pay Transparency Act demonstrated.

Henrike von Platen, CEO / Founder of FPI Fair Pay Innovation Lab, introduced in her call to action, the Universal Fair Pay Check – a certification process to close all internal organizational pay gaps in in three phases, and to offer equality and equal opportunities for all employees. Based on a thorough pay analysis, the Universal Fair Pay Check unites the best statutory initiatives in the world to form a single method: the pay analyses from Switzerland, the standardisation process from Iceland and the transparency initiative from Great Britain.

The video of the event is available via the NGO CSW Platform.

More information on the Universal Fair Pay Check here

EPIC launches its first newsletter

Submitted by ep_admin on Fri, 03/26/2021 - 05:30

EPIC launches its first newsletter

26 Mar 2021

Over the past year, the EPIC Secretariat has been very encouraged to see its membership growing in spite of the pandemic.   This demonstrates the importance and commitment that is being placed on taking concrete action towards valuing women’s work, whether at home or on the COVID-19 frontlines. Raising awareness, sharing and disseminating knowledge information on latest initiatives and programmes is central to EPIC’s work in supporting its members. EPIC seeks to continuously respond to requests for more information by showcasing our members’ good practices, including new digital solutions such as e-newsletters EPIC’s quarterly newsletters, available in English only, aim to inform readers on the latest EPIC developments, events and activities, as well as the most recent good practices and studies of our members. EPIC members are invited to share their contributions for the next newsletter. This could be an event planned between April to December 2021, a report, study or even a thought piece or blog on specific aspect on equal pay for work of equal value. Sign up to get updates from Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) delivered to your inbox.

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