THE German law on equal pay for men and women has hardly been used two years after its introduction.

Few workers have taken the chance to compare their pay with that of their peers as permitted under the law, according to an evaluation by the Berlin Government due to be discussed on Wednesday by the cabinet.

According to the report, only four per cent of employees in larger companies has requested such a wage comparison.

At the same time, 45 per cent of the companies with more than 200 employees surveyed voluntarily reviewed their structures.

The remuneration transparency act was intended to help to close the wage gap between men and women.

Employers must explain on request under what criteria and how much they pay to employees doing a similar job.

However, the law only applies to companies with at least 200 employees and if at least six colleagues of the opposite sex perform similar tasks as the applicant.

The law and its possibilities are not yet well-known, the Ministry of Family Affairs wrote in its report.

This should be changed by targeted information, the ministry said. (dpa/NAN)

– July 10, 2019 @ 12:49 GMT |