Salary

What is the gender pay gap?

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All around the world, women still earn substantially less than men. In global terms, 23 percent less. This inequality has intensified with the pandemic. In Switzerland, female employees' underpayment is a whopping 20 percent and is particularly evident in the private sector.

Why do I earn less than my colleague?

The pay gap can be partially explained by the fact that women are more likely to choose professions that pay less. However, 45 percent of the wage gap cannot be explained: it is not because women are less experienced or less educated - on the contrary. The professional landscape discriminates against women. This is despite the fact that salary discrimination has been prohibited by law in Switzerland since 1995.

Women enter professional life with a lower salary. The gap after graduation is already 7 percent.

Poor despite work

Work and still stay poor? According to the federal government, women are most affected by this. Around two-thirds of people who earn a wage below 4,000 francs for a full-time job are women. Conversely, 81 percent of top earners who receive more than 16,000 francs a month are men. A recent large-scale survey proved that 56 percent of all women in Switzerland couldn't survive financially on their own.

Women work predominantly without pay

In over 70 percent of families raising small children, the housework is mainly done by the woman.

The Highest Pay Gap is among Immigrant Women and Career Women.

Immigrant, black women, and transgender women are particularly affected by the pay gap. Those who adjust their gender subsequently earn as much as 32 percent less. Notably, however, successful women experience pay inequality as well. The higher the position, the larger the gap. The industry is a factor too. In the banking industry, median wages for women are more than 30 percent lower than those of men. In insurance and media, the pay gap is severe as well.

What is my market value? Find out by consulting the wage calculator and employee rating portals:

Federal Salarium
SGB
Lohncheck.ch

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Wage checklist

Be persistent. Ask several times. This will eventually pay off. Make a personal appointment with your superior. Subject: personal development.
Start the conversation with affirmative, supportive words, emphasize commonalities such as " I like to work with you", "we want the same thing". If you are welcoming, you will receive more goodwill in return (psychology: reciprocity).
Define a salary threshold for yourself and slap a quarter on it. Superiors will automatically negotiate you down. But if they reject the first lofty demand, they're more likely to agree to the second, slightly lower demand.
When switching careers, set your target salary high and, most importantly, increase the base (compared to your last job). From a once negotiated base level, you will not move on so easily.
For I'm worth it: compile your personal glory list, note all your successes, achievements, extraordinary contributions and projects. Remember: cheers for soft skills, cross-disciplinary skills such as communication, teambuilding. They are in high demand in the new world of work (New Work & Innovation). All the while, be confident and realistic.
Prepare for the meeting by role playing with friends or relatives. This allows you to think it all through, as well as gain confidence and be better prepared for the conversation. If that fails, seek the help of a coach.
It's the small stuff: a clear and calm voice and sitting in upright position goes a long way.
Listen carefully and sense where your superior can be more flexible and where she cannot. If she deflects and stonewalls, start asking questions: that's interesting, could you tell me more about the underlying reasons? That may lead closer to a compromise.
If you do not come to an agreement, negotiate an increase in entry level salary after a few months of probation. Have this written down in your contract.
If you feel thrown off guard by a proposal, don't decide right away and ask for reflection time.

Remember: not just the salary is negotiable: if you hit a wall with the salary, express other demands (plan B). There are numerous alternatives to money:

more vacation days,
Further education
home office, more flexible working (new work)
Taking over telephone, w-lan costs, co-working space subscriptions, travel expenses.
Assistance with childcare costs, transportation.
Participation and visibility at industry events (speakers).
Better job title (boost to LinkedIn).
Performance bonus later in the year.
Share options, associate options
Recruitment bonus