Gehaltsunterschiede « Henkel Diversity Blog

Female employees file a suit against Citigroup / Mitarbeiterinnen verklagen die Citigroup

Monday, October 25th, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

Citigroup was among the Top 100 Diversity Employers and one of DiversityInc’s 25 noteworthy companies. But now the bank find’s itself in a lawsuit, accused by six women of being an „outdated boys club“ that discriminates against women.

The women, of whom five lost their job at Citigroup in 2008, accuse their ex-employer of denying women equality in payment, assignments and promotions. The sixth woman claims, she was demoted after she returned from parental leave.

„Old Boys Club“ is a term to describe an exclusive network of male managers who exclude women from executive levels.
The lawsuit is the latest in series of lawsuits accusing American banks of gender bias: Goldman Sachs was accused in September, Bank of America in March. Both were accused by three former female employees. Both denied the accusations. The court decision in all cases is highly anticipated. [DE]

(more…)

When women earn the money / Wenn Frauen das Geld verdienen

Monday, August 16th, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

On tuesday evening the ZDF-show „37 Grad“ reported about women who earn more money than their husbands. At Henkel we actively support women to have a successful career, therefore this show was interesting for us. Just a few years ago the gender roles were clearly seperated: the man was the bread-earner. Women mostly worked part-time, if they worked at all. But the times have changed and nowadays it’s not a rarity that women earn more money than their husbands. In every tenth househould, women take the financial responsibility.

The TV-show pursued the questions how couples deal with the situation and how the gender roles are being re-defined. Three different couples were introduced, all of them with a different background. Two of the three men lost their jobs, whereby their wives became the sole earners. The men didn’t feel very comfortable about their situations and suffered from self-doubt. However, it is another situation, if both have a job but the woman earns more money. This was the case for the third couple. The man who stays at home and takes care of the children said: I have never felt better in my life. The TV-show demonstrated that there is a new generation of men, who enjoy staying at home and taking care of the children without feeling unmanly.[DE]

(more…)

Report on equality between women and men 2010 / Bericht über die Gleichheit zwischen Männern und Frauen 2010

Friday, March 26th, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

Each year, the European Commission reports to the European Council on developments towards gender equality and challenges that emerged. This year’s report points out that there is a generally positive trend towards a gender-equal society.

However, differences in employment, pay, working-hours and management positions persist. As future challenges, the report identifies a synergy between gender equality and employment, the reconciliation between work and family, the promotion of social inclusion and gender equality as well as preventing gender-based violence. As a conclusion, the commission calls to the European Council and to all EU-Nations to respond to these challenge ans transform commitment into action and results. [DE]

(more…)

Today it’s Equal Pay Day in Germany/ Heute ist Equal Pay Day in Deutschland

Friday, March 26th, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

This year Germany “celebrates” it’s Equal Pay Day on March 26. The gender pay gap stayed constantly by 23 percent. Each year the European Commission reports to the European Council on developments towards gender equality and challenges that emerged.

Henkel’s attitude towards gender equality payment is clear: The HR department ensures an equitable and non-discriminating payment for equal work. Additionally female employees are best supported to return from parental leave as fast as desired. [DE]

(more…)

Salary report by the magazine Wirtschaftswoche and Personalmarkt Services / Gehaltstest der Wirtschaftswoche und der Vergütungsberatung Personalmarkt

Thursday, March 25th, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

The magazine Wirtschaftswoche and Personalmarkt Services compared the salaries of 470 careers and positions. The results are mainly negative. The salaries of top-managers increase while those of university graduates constantly decrease. The gap between women and men still exists and the net income of German employees decreased in 2009. Positive news is, that the old principle “who stays the longest at the company earns the most” no longer exists. Performance is the determining factor for a rise in salary and specialists can expect pay raises up to 5 percent. [DE]