Equal Pay

In Switzerland, women and men have the right to receive equal pay for work that is equal or of equal value. Pay discrimination exists when different genders within the same organization who have the same qualifications and experience are paid differently for work that is equal or of equal value. An equal pay analysis is performed at UZH on a regular basis; the next analysis will be carried out in May 2026 as decided by the Executive Board of the University.

If UZH employees have questions about their individual pay levels, they may contact Human Resources. This communication is kept confidential. In addition, the EDI office can provide general information about the topic of equal pay.
Human Resources

University of Zurich
Office for Equality, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI)
Karin Gilland Lutz
E-Mail to Karin Gilland Lutz

University of Zurich
Human Resources
Karin Bertschinger
E-Mail to Karin Bertschinger

UZH’s equal pay analysis conducted in 2023 showed for the fourth time in a row that UZH has overall maintained equal pay. Even though the result lies well below the federal government’s maximum threshold of 5 percent pay difference, women at UZH still earn on average 1.4 percent less than men under equal circumstances.

The existing cantonal system of pay categories with its function-related classification irrespective of gender continues to prove its worth. For certain academic and junior academic positions, there are also clear, binding classification guidelines.

As an employer with over 100 employees, UZH is required by law to conduct an equal pay analysis. Because the results of its equal pay analysis conducted in 2020 were within the statistical tolerance range, UZH was not required to conduct another analysis. However, since this issue is a high priority at the University, UZH voluntarily conducted another equal pay analysis in 2023 and had it reviewed by the independent auditing company BDO Ltd. The next equal pay analysis will be conducted in three years as decided by the Executive Board of the University.

The audit report as well as the glossary are only available in German on our German website.
Audit Report 2023 and Glossary