Bill to close the pay gap between women and men

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1. The bill aims to tackle the gender pay gap, which according to the figures it cites stands at around 17.3% in Spain. It is presented as a pioneering law within the European Union.
2. It rewrites the Workers' Statute to strengthen pay equality. If in a company with 25 or more workers the average pay of one sex is more than 20 percentage points higher than the other's, discrimination is presumed unless the company proves otherwise.
3. Companies with worker representatives must include in every payslip the average pay information broken down by sex, and representatives will be entitled to receive it at least once a year. Large companies must also include pay audits in their equality plans.
4. It improves the tools for going to court: proving discrimination becomes easier, the Women's Institute and statewide equality associations can challenge collective agreements and take part in proceedings, and judges will receive a mandatory prior report in indirect discrimination cases.
5. The same rules apply to public employment: equal pay for work of equal value, a presumption of discrimination when gaps exceed 20 percentage points, and the right of public employees to receive pay information broken down by sex.
6. It strengthens oversight and penalties: specialized equality units will be created in every Provincial Labor Inspectorate, and failing to deliver the payslip as required will become a serious offense.
7. The bill provides for fully equalizing paternity and maternity leave, making it equal, non-transferable and fully paid, within a maximum of five years. It also creates an Interministerial Commission and a Directorate General for Pay Equality.
8. The General Treasury of Social Security must develop software to detect pay inequalities from contribution data, notify companies with gaps above 20%, and send workers annual data. The Government will have one year to issue the implementing regulations.

Who it affects

• Workers, who will be able to know their company's average pay and file claims if they suspect discrimination.: Right to information and to file claims
• Companies, especially those with 25 or more workers, which must be transparent about pay and justify differences.: New obligations
• Worker representatives and unions, who will receive pay data broken down by sex and can help push claims forward.: More information and standing
• Public employees and public administrations, subject to the same pay equality and transparency rules.: Pay equality in the public sector
• The Women's Institute, Labor Inspectorate and equality bodies, with new duties of oversight, reporting and support for claims.: Stronger institutions

Words worth knowing

Brecha salarial (gender pay gap)

The average difference between what men and women earn per hour.

Discriminación indirecta (indirect discrimination)

A rule or practice that looks neutral but disadvantages one sex more than the other.

Auditoría salarial (pay audit)

An analysis of a company's wages to detect and correct differences between men and women.

Trabajo de igual valor (work of equal value)

Different jobs that require the same effort, qualifications or responsibility, and must be paid the same.

Convenio colectivo (collective agreement)

An agreement setting working conditions for a sector or company.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries