Equal Pay Policy

Illustration of a man and woman standing on columns of unequal heights

The City’s Equal Pay Policy extends to all City employees. The City Executive Council oversees the equal pay policy.

All employees are entitled to equal pay and benefits for equal work regardless of gender. There shall be no unexplained gender pay gap.

Reykjavík City Equal Pay Policy in Icelandic 2022-2030 (PDF)
Reykjavík City Equal Pay Policy in English 2022-2030 (PDF)
Reykjavík City Equal Pay Policy in Polish 2022-2030 (PDF)

Emphasis on equality

Over the years, Reykjavík City has placed great emphasis on equality, actively working to eliminate gender-based pay gaps. This can be seen in various plans, policies, and actions taken by the City.

Reykjavík City's equal pay policy was approved May 24, 2022.

Responsibility

The Director of Human Resources & Work Environments oversees the equal pay system and ensures it complies with laws and international agreements on gender equality and equal rights. The Director represents Reykjavík City's senior administration on equal pay matters and is responsible for implementing and maintaining the system according to IST 85:2012. The Director of Human Resources & Work Environments also ensures all staff involved in salary decisions understand the equal pay system, its procedures, and relevant laws and regulations.

Reykjavík City commits to implementing, documenting and maintaining an equal pay system that meets ÍST 85:2012 standards. Reykjavík City has established procedures and salary criteria to ensure employees are paid based on job value, regardless of gender, gender identity or other non-job-related factors.

As a single workplace, Reykjavík City promotes equality and equal opportunities, with a workforce that reflects the diversity of our community and urban life.

Objective

To achieve these goals, Reykjavík City will:

  • Implement, document and maintain a certified equal pay system based on ÍST 85:2012.
  • Comply with all current laws, regulations and collective wage agreements, and verify legal compliance.
  • Conduct annual internal audits and management reviews.
  • Perform yearly salary analyses comparing jobs of equal value to ensure no gender-based wage gaps exist. Share key findings with all employees.
  • Address any unexplained wage differences through ongoing monitoring and necessary improvements.
  • Introduce the equal pay policy to staff and make it available on Reykjavík City's website.

This equal pay policy supersedes Reykjavík City's previous wage policy. This equal pay policy is an integral part of Reykjavík City's human resources and human rights policies.

Gender wage gap

The University of Iceland's Social Science Research Institute analyzed salaries to examine potential wage differences between male and female employees at Reykjavík City.

 

The analysis shows the gender wage gap among city employees has decreased since measurement began.

 

Gender pay gap analysis 2024
Illustration of people talking together.

Salary analyses and the development of gender-based wage gap

Salary analyses are conducted annually to measure gender-based wage differences. The diagram below shows the development of the gender wage gap at Reykjavík City over the years.

Graph showing the trends in gender wage gap from 1995-2024

Standardized figures on the development of the gender wage gap in total wages of Reykjavík City staff from 1995 to 2024.