Pay is something of a taboo. This makes pay discrimination hard to bring to light and also hard to prove. Discrimination can be found in all pay components – in basic pay as well as in allowances or performance-related bonuses or profit sharing. Do you suspect that your pay does not comply with the law?
You can assert your right to equal pay for equal work or work of equal value. Proceed step by step and exhaust other possibilities before taking a claim to court. Consult the information on the FOGE website. Try to find a solution by talking to your boss. If your company has a person responsible for gender equality, they can help you with this conversation. If no acceptable outcome can be found, you can contact an equal opportunities office, an advice centre, a staff association or your trade union. Each canton has a conciliation authority concerned with gender equality at work. They can advise you on how to proceed in your particular case. Conciliation proceedings are free of charge, as are the cantonal court proceedings. The lawyer's services, however, are not. You are protected from retaliatory dismissal during an in-house dispute, conciliation or court proceedings, as well as for the six months after.
Further information
