Project on work of equal value develops assessment of requirements of work

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has launched a project to study and develop the assessment of the requirements of work from the perspective of equal pay. The project on work of equal value, which is linked to the Government Programme, will determine what criteria different pay systems use to assess the requirements of work and what these criteria mean for equal pay. Based on this, the possibilities for creating more uniform assessment criteria will be examined to support the promotion of equal pay for jobs that are equally demanding.

Under the Act on Equality between Women and Men, people performing the same work or work of equal value must receive the same pay. Parliament requires that the Government strive to develop a method which makes it possible to compare the requirements of work, or the value of work, between different sectors. The results of the project will be used as the basis for making the relevant conclusions and recommendations.

From theory to practice in workplace pilots 

The research and development project on work of equal value, which runs from March 2021 to November 2022, examines the assessment of requirements of work and work of equal value from the perspective of Finnish and EU law, relevant literature, key collective agreements and pay systems. It also looks at how the existing pay systems and the ways they are applied support equal pay. The project also aims to find out how pay systems and tools for assessing the requirements of work could be further developed to support the realisation of equal pay and work of equal value.

The legal aspect of the project is to survey and assess the case law on equal pay. Examining collective agreements helps to form an overview of the criteria for assessing the requirements of work and the guidelines for applying them that are contained in different collective agreements. The project also involves practical development work in pilot organisations. This part of the project, starting in autumn 2021, will examine the tools for assessing the requirements of work used by the pilot organisations and their effectiveness from the perspective of equal pay. It will also carry out development measures tailored to each organisation. 

Mandatum Life’s Reward Services are responsible for implementing the project together with their partners Harri Hietala, Master of Laws with court training, from Työelämän sopimus- ja lakipalvelu Sopla Ky, a company providing contract and legal services, and Johanna Maaniemi, D.Sc. (Tech.), Principal Lecturer from the Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences. 

Inquiries:

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Outi Viitamaa-Tervonen, Project Manager, tel. +358 295163230, [email protected] 

Mandatum Life Services Ltd.: Sini Jämsén, Project Manager for the project, Senior Consultant, Reward and Compensation, D.Sc. (Tech.), tel. +358 50 3006578, [email protected]