The next Equal Pay Day in Germany is on March 17th. This date symbolically marks the gender-specific wage gap and thus the 77 days that women will work for free in 2020, while male colleagues will be paid from January 1st. The unequal treatment of men and women has been on everyone’s lips for years. Despite new laws, little has changed in the wage gap.

In a survey of female workers, we found out where women see themselves in the world of work and whether they feel treated differently or even unfairly compared to their male colleagues. In collaboration with the opinion research institute OnePoll, we carried out a study with a focus on gender discrimination we experienced ourselves. In October 2017, 1,000 working women aged 18 or over who are in office in the broadest sense were surveyed across Germany. Paired with European statistics, we researched where German female employees are in a European comparison with regard to various job-related issues and which countries have the best or worst conditions for working women. We also asked two experts for background information.

Wage gap in Germany

Three quarters of women who took part in the Viking survey (75%) said they already felt underpaid in the workplace. The gender pay gap in Germany, also known as the gender pay gap, was calculated by the Federal Statistical Office for 2016 to be 21 percent. This difference in earnings remained constant until 2018 – these are the most recent results so far. We have created a heat map for the earnings gap in Europe.

In our survey, one in five respondents said the gender pay gap is unlikely to go away. After all, 40% of women said they expect the wage gap to close within 11 to 50 years. However, it is surprising that it will take a full 217 years, i.e. until 2234, until the gender pay gap is closed, as calculated by the World Economic Forum in Geneva

“Why is it that women earn on average 21% less than their male colleagues for a comparable job?” , we asked Dr. Katharina Wrohlich, who works on the gender pay gap at the German Institute for Economic Research. “One important cause is the family-related career breaks, which almost only affect women. Long periods of part-time work also have a negative impact on hourly wages, “, she explains. “Employment interruptions and part-time jobs also reduce women’s chances of attaining management positions. This is also one of the reasons for the gender pay gap . “

The man as breadwinner?

Our survey unfortunately confirms that the classic model of the man as a family breadwinner is still not obsolete. 42% of the women surveyed said that the biggest challenge in their job compared to their male colleagues was lower earnings. Closely followed by 37% who stated that the greatest hurdle was the reconciliation of work and family life and 24% reported that they felt that they had only limited opportunities for professional development in contrast to their male colleagues.

More than half of the women surveyed (56%) feel that children have a negative impact on their careers. Three quarters of women surveyed who have children (74%) said they had to change the way they worked since becoming a mother, and 68% of all mothers switched to part-time work after they returned to work.

Sexism in professional life often begins in the job interview. More than half of all women (53%) have already been asked one or more “inadmissible questions” during such a conversation. Every third woman in the age group 24 to 35 was asked the question of family planning in an interview. 38% of the women who took part in our survey have already experienced sexism in the workplace.

The new Entgelttranzparenzgesetz – did it make a difference?

Since January 2018, all employees who work in companies with more than 200 employees can take advantage of the Pay Transparency Act. The law gives the right to information about what colleagues earn in an equivalent position. In addition, every employer is obliged to pay men and women equally for comparable work. However, a new study shows that this law has unfortunately not had any effect so far. Companies have not actively done anything yet. There are also no consequences for companies that do not feel addressed by the law. Katharina Wrohlich explains why the Pay Transparency Act has not yet taken effect as follows:

“It is too early today to judge whether the law has had a positive effect on women’s wages because we don’t have any current data. The latest available data on the gender pay gap of the Federal Statistical Office are from 2018. That is the year in which the Pay Transparency Act was introduced. So we have to wait another 1-2 years until we have data for the years 2019-2020 in order to be able to assess whether something has changed in the wage gap. ”

Henrike von Platen is the founder of the FPI Fair Pay Innovation Lab, which supports companies in the practical implementation of sustainable pay strategies, and was President of Business and Professional Women Germany e.V. from 2010 to 2016. She points out:

“The Fee Transparency Act was a very good first step – the fact that it has transparency in its name is a clear signal: People are talking about money. In many companies this has had an impact on the corporate culture. The evaluation of the law also clearly shows that whoever analyzes, also acts. Little is reflected in the statistics, but we will probably see a bigger jump soon. What is missing in Germany to really close the wage gap, however, are sanctions. Not the employees, the companies should be called upon to act. We can see very clearly from the Icelandic example what decisive legislation can achieve. Companies there that fail to provide evidence that all employees are paid equally must expect noticeable fines. It works extremely well. The aim is to close the Icelandic wage gap to zero percent by 2022. For comparison: The German government wants to halve the wage gap by 2030. That is definitely too slow. ”

In our survey, 77% of women said they would ask for a raise if they found out that a male colleague with similar skills and experience earned more in an equal role.

Which measures could really improve the situation

“What measures are necessary to improve equality between women and men?” we asked our two experts. “Political framework conditions that improve the compatibility of family and work are important so that family-related career breaks are shorter,” replied Katharina Wrohlich, and added: “The greater involvement of fathers in family work would also be a step in the right direction.”

“No laws are needed to implement fair wages. If you want, you can adjust salaries overnight. And take measures to prevent the scissors from opening again,” says Henrike von Platen. “The expert is convinced:” Pay equity is a question of attitude – which every company also benefits economically. ”

What do you think of the topic? Have you brought the new Pay Transparency Act to life and requested access to the files to find out whether your colleague earns more than you? Have you already experienced discrimination in the workplace?