Equality in the workplace
The Gender Equality Act prohibits discrimination in the workplace. Employers are obliged to pay equal pay for work of equal value and to protect employees from harassment. The Confederation is committed to furthering gender equality in the workplace through various measures.
The Confederation provides tools and information and promotes innovative projects to promote true gender equality in the workplace in practice.
How does the Confederation promote gender equality in the workplace?
Equal pay
Women in Switzerland earn 16.2 per cent less than men – even though the principle of «equal pay for work of equal value» has been enshrined in the Federal Constitution since 1981. The Confederation is committed to making this constitutional principle a reality.
Supported projects to promote gender equality in the workplace
Every year, the Confederation supports projects to promote true gender equality in the workplace in practice. The financial aid used for this purpose helps to implement innovative and effective projects in the economy and administration.
Sexual harassment in the workplace
The term sexual harassment in the workplace means any behaviour of a sexual or gender-specific nature that is unwelcome on one side and that violates a person’s dignity. The perception of the person harassed is the deciding factor, not the intention of the person committing the harassment. Sexual harassment can be perpetrated through words, images, gestures or actions.