Job evaluation and gender pay equity: a French example

• Published date: 16 May 2016
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-07-2015-0062
• Date: 16 May 2016
• Pages: 267-279
• Author: Anne-Francoise Bender,Frederique Pigeyre

Job evaluation and gender pay

equity: a French example

Anne-Francoise Bender

Human Resource Management, CNAM, Paris, France, and

Frederique Pigeyre

Management Studies, IAE Gustave Eiffel, Creteil, France

Abstract

Purpose –Despite significant anti-discrimination laws in most countries, gender pay gap still remains

a substantial concern. The notion of comparable worth has been promoted for several years by the ILO

and a few countries to fight against relatively lower female salaries. The purpose of this paper is to

review the rationales for comparable worth and explain how gender biases, generally involved in

traditional job evaluation, can be prevented.

Design/methodology/approach –To do this, after reviewing the motives, logics and three major

applications of comparable worth logics in pay equity policies, the authors expose an analysis of a

French sectorial job classification that the authors carried out as experts for establishing a French

Equality Ombudsman’s guide.

Findings –The findings show how the redundancy and definition of job evaluation criteria, along

with the weighting system, contributes to undervaluation of clerks jobs, predominantly held by

women. The authors also highlight the main recommendations of the guide to prevent gender bias in

job evaluation, that are derived from this case study, among others. The authors conclude on the

difficulties of implementing comparable worth in France, in a period of long lasting economic crisis and

of weak union power.

Research limitations/implications –The paper is based on a single case study, conducted for

policy actors. It was not conducted at first for academic research purposes, and may thus have some

methodological limitations. The implications of the research are, however, important at academic

level –highlighting the persistence of gender bias –and at policy level, as it provides recommendations

for negotiators.

Practical implications –The guide originally aimed at giving guidelines and “good practices”in

order to prevent gender discrimination in job evaluation.

Social implications –The paper draws attention to the importance and difficulty of undergoing

such classification changes in times of economic crisis. Stronger legal action seems necessary.

Originality/value –This experience is the first of its kind –promoted by the Ombudsman –in

France. It has never been related in an academic journal as far as the authors know.

Keywords Gender, Women, Employment legislation, Job evaluation, Pay gap

Paper type Case study

Introduction

Despite advances over the last 30 years, the gender pay gap (GPG) remains a concern.

According to the International Labor Organization (Oelz et al., 2013, p. 12), globally,

“women earn 77.1% of what men earn.”In this paper, we focus on the portion of the

GPG that is attributed by some researchers to the undervaluation of female-dominated

jobs. In our view, this “comparable worth”issue is of great interest for public policy

actors, researchers and human resource practitioners, as it questions the way jobs are

graded to establish pay structures.

The aim of our paper is to provide elements to answer the question: how to

prevent gender bias in job evaluation and pay grading systems, specifically in France?

The paper is structured in three parts. First, we conduct a literature review on

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

An International Journal

Vol. 35 No. 4, 2016

pp. 267-279

©Emerald Group Publis hing Limited

2040-7149

DOI 10.1108/EDI-07-2015-0062

Received 31 July 2015

Revised 19 April 2016

Accepted 16 June 2016

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

www.emeraldinsight.com/2040-7149.htm

267

Job evaluation

and gender

pay equity