WHAT IS THE EQUAL-SALARY Ethnicity Certification
AND WHO IS IT FOR?
The EQUAL-SALARY Ethnicity Certification is a process that allows companies to verify and communicate that they pay all their employees equally for the same job or for job of the same value across ethnicities. It is aimed at companies in all countries and across all industries with 100 or more employees (with at least one ethnicity category containing 50 employees or more and at least on other ethnic group must contain 10 employees or more) that are committed to closing the ethnicity wage gap.
When you get certified, it’s a chance to put your values into action and build a solid foundation for your ESG strategy. To prove your commitment to equal pay for all and to pave the way for a racial discrimination free society. That means added value for your company, better recruitment and retention employee, more diversity in your team, a stronger reputation and much more. Plus you get the bonus of knowing that you’re doing the right thing.
Help your organization stand out for all the right reasons and get certified today.
" In 2022 in the US, Black women earned 70% as much as White men."
Pew Research Center 2023
HOW DOES THE EQUAL-SALARY CERTIFICATION FOR ETHNICITY WORK?
Salary analysis
The EQUAL-SALARY Foundation collects all of your employee salary data securely and anonymously. It is then analyzed to see if the ethnicity wage gap difference is less than or equal to 5%, and if the R-squared value is greater than or equal to 90%. If all goes well, it’s time to move on to step 2.
On-site review
Following international quality standards, our auditing team makes sure EQUAL-SALARY requirements are met while assessing the following:
CEO/top management’s commitment to equal pay for all;
How well equal pay strategies are integrated into the HR processes and policies;
Employees’ perception of the company’s pay practices.
Certification
Depending on the results of the audit, your company is awarded the EQUAL-SALARY certificate from the EQUAL-SALARY Foundation. You’re then free to promote your certification on your company communications, to prove that you support and practice equal pay in the workplace.
Monitoring reviews
Your certification is valid for three years. During this period, you will need to undergo two monitoring reviews, to show your ongoing commitment to a fair and non-discriminatory wage policy. You’ve come this far; keep up the good work!
WHAT SETS EQUAL-SALARY APART?
Why ours is the certification your company needs
WE’VE GOT
The credibility
EQUAL-SALARY is the only non-profit organization to promote equal pay between women and men using a methodology developed in collaboration with the University of Geneva, Switzerland, whose statistical analysis of salary policies have been recognized by the Swiss Federal Court of High Justice.
The achievements
124 companies have been EQUAL-SALARY certified worldwide to date. Check out the list of all certified companies.
The partners
Ours is the only equal pay certification to be implemented by world-leading auditing partners, lending serious credibility not only to EQUAL-SALARY but to the equal pay movement as a whole.
AUDIT PARTNERS
FOUNDING PARTNERS
Financially supported by FOGE, Swiss Confederation
Methodology developped with University of Geneva
EQUAL-SALARY ETHNICITY CHECKLIST
Things to know and what to expect when applying for the EQUAL-SALARY Ethnicity Crtification:
In today’s business climate, it’s not enough to say your company supports equal pay for the same job or for a job of equal value, regardless of ethnic background. You need to prove it. Getting certified allows your organization to demonstrate good governance and transparency. It significantly improves your ability to attract and retain strong and diverse talent. It helps your company do the right thing: close the ethnicity wage gap, gain a competitive advantage, and position yourself as leaders in diversity and inclusion. It also allows your organization to anticipate and mitigate risk of any potential unequal pay case and create the foundation for a robust ESG strategy.
1. There must be at least 100 employees in-scope.
2. Disclosure rate: data about ethnicity must be available for minimum 70% of the employees in scope.
3. At least one ethnicity category must contain 50 employees or more.
- Data about ethnicity for minimum 70% of the employees in scope
- Full salary data in digital format (Excel)
- A well-documented salary policy
- Formalized HR processes
- The involvement of employees through surveys and interviews
- A ethnicity pay gap of less than five percent with a R2 of at least 90%
- A commitment to equal pay clearly supported by top management
- Fully implemented HR processes, including indicators implemented by gender
The costs of the certification depend on the size of the organization (number of employees and number of sites). They include the Certification fees, the salary analysis and the on-site audits.
QUANTITATIVE PHASE:
Statistical analysis of salary data to measure the ethnicity pay gap within the company and a list of individual discrepancies to be explained or addressed, where applicable.
QUALITATIVE PHASE:
On site audit to assess the company’s overall commitment to equal pay, and its implementation in HR processes. Employees are involved through surveys and interviews.
Depending on your preparation and readiness, the process takes minimum 4 to 6 months. The internal workload for the organization’s staff takes approx. 20 days if you already have the ethnicity data of all your employees.
The EQUAL-SALARY Certificate is valid for three years. Following the main initial audit, the organization will need to undergo two monitoring audits in years 2 and 3.
LET'S TALK EQUAL PAY
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