On Wednesday 10 December, Germany’s Families Minister, Manuela Schwesig presented the main contours of a draft law that should enable the gender gap in pay to narrow. In 2014 this gap was estimated at 21.6% in favor of males. Among the measures is a ban in employment contracts on including confidentiality clauses as regards salaries; something that displeases employers who have already requested that the draft law be halted. The draft law is only to apply to companies with more than 500 employees as well as federal administration bodies. The text is to be put to the Bundestag in May 2016.
How does one narrow the current 21.6% gender pay gap? This is an issue close to both unions and Social Democrats alike and has been a longtime topic for discussion. The government’s program that was signed by the coalition partners in 2013 also includes proposing legislation on the subject. On 10 December the Families Minister, Manuela Schwesig presented this much awaited draft law. “In Germany, people still don’t talk about salaries, it is still a taboo subject, a black box. A lot of people ha
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