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• 
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Equal pay in the City of Bern

Equal pay in the City of Bern

According to Eurostat, the hourly wage gap between women and men is the average difference in gross (hourly) wages between women and men in the economy. In the EU, the average hourly wage gap between women and men is 16.2%. (2016)

The capital of Switzerland, Bern (signatory of the European Charter for Equality since 2007), has put in place an action plan that promotes equal pay. The City of Berne ensures wage equality in:

• Municipal administration: regular verification of wage equality
• Procurement contracts: suppliers are required to prove proof of equal pay and submit to random checks
• Service agreements: contractors are required to provide proof of equal pay on request

Tools and controls

The City of Bern uses tools and control procedures provided by the Federal Office for Equality between Women and Men:

The Charter for wage equality in the public sector

This tool launched by the Federal Office for Equality of Women and Men seeks to reduce gender pay gap, which—according to the government—is around 7% in Switzerland. The signatories undertake to regularly monitor equal pay within the public administration, entities close to public authorities, public contracts and subsidies. Its signatories are the cantons, towns and municipalities, including Bern since 2016.

Short video presenting the Charter for wage equality in the public sector

Logib – Self-check tool for employers

This is a software program which enables employers (local and regional governments included) to enter salary data for their organisation to identify and evaluate gender wage disparities. It is an easy and free way for employers to find out if their salary practices respect equality between women and men. More detailed information on the tool and how to use it are available on the Logib website.

Short video presenting the Logib software tool