On 29 May, the Swiss Federal Assembly’s upper house (Cantons) voted 27-15 in favor of a gender wage equality law applying to corporate entities. All companies with a minimum of 100 staff will be required to examine their wages policy every four years. Employers’ federations and the right wing had been seeking a self-declaration option but this was rejected. However no sanctions are to be levied in the event of wage equality violations. Political experts and parliamentarians now expect what has been termed as a minimalist legislative solution to pass without any further opposition from the pro-business camp when the text goes for its final vote before the lower house.
37 years after the principle of gender equality was enshrined in the Swiss Constitution, the Federal Assembly’s upper house has finally voted for a draft law that aims to advance the cause of gender wage equality within companies. The vote was unexpectedly preceded by a committee stage where the text, initially considered by the right and liberals as being too restrictive and too administratively heavy, was amended and somewhat watered down.
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