The pay gap is narrowing in Hafnarfjörður

Hafnarfjörður was the first municipality in Iceland to receive equal pay certification and the certified equal pay mark from the Ministry of Welfare in August 2017. A maintenance audit carried out by BSI in Iceland this December reveals a reduction in the pay gap of 1.4 percentage points since the equal pay mark was awarded. In August 2017, the pay gap was 4.81%, in favour of men, but it now stands at 3.41%.

The results of the maintenance certification by BSI (British Standards Institution) in Iceland, an accredited certification body, confirm that the municipality meets the requirements set out in the gender equality standard, ÍST 85:2012. The auditor's summary states that there is a great deal of consensus among the management and responsible parties of the City of Hafnarfjörður's equal pay system regarding its optimisation for both employees and the municipality. No non-conformities were found, but there is scope for further improvement, which will be addressed in the coming months. „It is a major priority for us that pay decisions across the City of Hafnarfjörður reflect the principle of equal pay for work of equal value, regardless of gender and other factors. We are on the right track and will hopefully achieve pay equality and eliminate the gender pay gap in the municipality in the very near future. The results of the maintenance certification are extremely pleasing, and the great deal of work that has been put into this long-term project is clearly paying off.“ says Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir, Mayor of Hafnarfjörður, after the results were presented to her and the council's department heads. The outcome of the pay analysis provides grounds for adjustments to the pay equity criteria and job classification, as well as their linkage to the pay analysis. These points, along with others, have already been included in the municipality's action plan and the improvements will be reviewed in the next audit, which will take place in August 2019. The aim of implementing equal pay certification is to establish and maintain pay equality within the City of Hafnarfjörður and to fulfil the employer's obligations to ensure equal rights for women and men, pay them equal wages, and guarantee they receive the same terms and conditions for the same or equally valued work. The equal pay system provides management with a clearer view of pay analysis, improvement projects, monitoring of actions, and confirmation that the established equality policy is being followed.