Equal pay: It's not "all right" after all

In the run-up to this year's Women's Strike Day on June 14, 2023, the Swiss Employers' Association had published a study to show that equal pay between the sexes is now the "norm," so to speak. Also we reported about it at this place. However, a closer look reveals that the study only shows a section of reality and cannot serve as proof that "everything is fine" in terms of equal pay. The statement by Lisa Rubli, CEO of the Foundation, also goes in this direction. Equal Salary. This organization certifies companies that are proven to pay women and men fairly.

Lisa Rubli criticizes both the timing of the study's publication and its informative value: "Yes, 99.3% of the companies surveyed comply with the Equality Act. So far, so good. But this is exactly where you need to look a little closer. One 'small' detail quickly stands out: The sample is biased! Firstly, only 615 of the 2144 companies contacted responded to this voluntary survey, 461 of which were selected for the study. Inevitably, the question arises as to who are the companies reporting their results on a voluntary basis. Secondly, only companies with more than 100 employees in Switzerland are subject to the law. They account for just 1% of Swiss companies. The 461 companies surveyed account for 0.08%. Is this sample really representative? One last point: the data collection is based on self-declaration and is not verified. According to the
University of St. Gallen can therefore not be ruled out that the calculation method was not applied correctly or that the information provided was (intentionally or unintentionally) incorrect or incomplete. Are the results reliable?" He added that it is important to think critically about these questions. And further: "In the end, the study commissioned by the SAV is not only biased, but it was above all instrumentalized. The numerous excerpts such as 'In overwhelming majority, large Swiss companies have a fair wage system' and the results loudly presented on the eve of June 14 by critics of equality, aim to deny wage inequality and disparage feminist struggles. According to the FSO, which also takes into account companies with fewer than 100 employees, the wage gap in 2020 is still 18%. Of that 18%, 47.8% is gender-based. In Switzerland, a woman earns 717 francs less per month than a man for the same work, the same workload, the same education, the same job description and the same performance. This is for the simple reason that she is a woman."

Thus, not everything is in order by a long shot, and critical scrutiny, also by the press, is in order...