Technology Company KNAUER Reduced Gender Pay Gap

By comparison, the German average wage gap between women and men is currently 19%. This figure means that Germany is still one of the worst performers in Europe.

For the past three years, Managing Director Alexandra Knauer has had her HR department calculate the gender pay gap for her company annually. According to the socially committed entrepreneur, this was triggered by the Equal Pay Day, which has been organized in Germany for several years by the Business and Professional Women (BPW) Germany e.V. association, generating great public attention. She wanted to know exactly where her company was positioned regarding fair wages.

The "Equal Pay Day" action day symbolizes the wage gap between women and men very vividly. The action date is recalculated every year and is based on the previous year’s data from the Federal Statistical Office. With the aforementioned 19% difference, women would have arithmetically worked without pay until March 10 in 2021, while men would have been paid from the beginning of the year – if both received the same hourly wage. March 10 is therefore this year’s Equal Pay Day in Germany.

"At KNAUER, it is important to us not to favor or disadvantage any group or gender. Of course, this also applies to payment. I am pleased, that there is actually no significant difference with us.", says Alexandra Knauer.

As HR Manager Katharina Pohl informs us, calculating the pay gap has now become a normal key figure at KNAUER, because the goal of pay equality can only be consistently pursued through regular review. Very small fluctuations up or down are unavoidable, e.g. due to personnel movements, but the important thing is that there are no structural differences in pay. The aim is therefore also to ensure that overall staffing levels are as balanced as possible. Applications from women for positions in the CNC workshop are unfortunately still major exceptions. Women are represented in all other departments in the company. 43% of all management positions at KNAUER are held by women – a very high rate for a technology company.

"As long as Equal Pay Day is not yet in January, there is still a lot to do in Germany in terms of pay fairness. If you also lead a company or are involved in human resources decisions, just do the math for your company or your area," Alexandra Knauer urges those responsible.

The so-called unadjusted wage gap is easy to calculate: The average gross hourly wage for men minus the gross hourly wage for women is set in relation to the hourly wage of men. This ratio is expressed as a percentage.

The family-owned company KNAUER Wissenschaftliche Geräte GmbH develops and manufactures high-tech laboratory instruments, for example HPLC systems, with which analyses can be carried out or, for example, active substances can be purified. The sales network extends over 70 countries. Alexandra Knauer, who is the second generation to run the company, attaches great importance to corporate responsibility both towards the 160 employees and towards the environment and society. More information about KNAUER at: www.knauer.net