The European Parliament has adopted new rules that aim to address the gender pay gap across the European Union.
On average, women in the EU earn 13% less than men for doing the same job, which has persisted for years despite legal provisions for equal pay.
Under the new rules, companies will be required to disclose information that makes it easier for employees to compare salaries and to expose existing gender pay gaps.
Companies that have a gender pay gap of over 5% will have to take action to address it, and employers that do not comply with the rules will face dissuasive penalties, including fines.
The new legislation will also require pay structures to be based on gender-neutral criteria and recruitment processes led in a non-discriminatory manner.
Pay secrecy will be banned, and workers and workers’ representatives will have the right to receive clear and complete information on individual and average pay levels, broken down by gender.
The burden of proof on pay-related issues will shift from the worker to the employer, meaning that the employer will have to prove that there has been no discrimination if a worker feels that the principle of equal pay has not been applied and takes the case to court.
The new rules also include intersectional discrimination and the rights of non-binary persons, making it the first time that such issues have been included in European legislation.
The rapporteurs of the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee and the Employment and Social Affairs Committee both expressed their satisfaction with the new rules.
The Council will have to approve the agreement before the text is signed into law and published in the EU Official Journal.
The new rules will come into force twenty days after their publication.
The adoption of these new rules is a significant step towards addressing the gender pay gap in the EU and ensuring that all workers are treated equally, regardless of gender or any other factor.
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