Job evaluation should be reviewed during a joint pay assessment because the Directive requires work of equal value to be assessed using objective, gender-neutral criteria and requires remediation measures arising from a joint pay assessment to include analysis of existing gender-neutral job evaluation and classification systems, or the establishment of such systems. The review should test whether skills, effort, responsibility and working conditions are recognised consistently, whether relevant additional factors are justified, and whether the method undervalues work commonly performed by women or applies different standards to comparable jobs.
Jurisdiction: European Union
Job Evaluation Is Part of the Remediation Framework
Article 10(4) states that implementation of measures arising from the joint pay assessment must include an analysis of existing gender-neutral job evaluation and classification systems or the establishment of such systems. This means job evaluation is not merely an optional diagnostic tool. Where pay differences cannot be justified, the employer should test whether the architecture used to compare and classify work contributed to the problem and whether that architecture can reliably support equal pay for equal work or work of equal value.
Review Skills, Effort, Responsibility and Working Conditions
Article 4 requires the comparison of work value to use objective, gender-neutral criteria including skills, effort, responsibility and working conditions. The review should therefore verify that each factor is defined clearly and applied to all relevant jobs. Employers should also check whether relevant soft skills, emotional demands, coordination duties, physical demands or responsibility for people, money, systems or risk are captured where they genuinely form part of the job. The Directive specifically warns against undervaluing relevant soft skills.
Test Job Descriptions and Classification Inputs
A job evaluation method can only be as reliable as the information supplied to it. Employers should review whether job descriptions reflect the work actually performed, whether responsibilities have changed over time and whether comparable roles are documented at a similar level of detail. Inconsistent descriptions can make one job appear more complex or responsible than another even where their actual value is similar. The joint pay assessment should therefore distinguish genuine job differences from documentation differences.
Check Factor Weighting and Scoring for Gender Neutrality
The Directive does not prescribe one universal scoring model, but it requires the criteria to be objective and gender neutral. Employers should therefore examine whether factor weights and scoring rules systematically favour characteristics associated with one group of jobs while undervaluing other relevant demands. Different weights may be appropriate where justified by the work, but the rationale should be documented and consistently applied. Where workers' representatives exist, Article 4 provides for the objective criteria to be agreed with them.
Compare Classification Outcomes With Pay Outcomes
After reviewing the evaluation method, employers should compare the resulting job values or grades with actual pay outcomes. A gender-neutral classification system can still coexist with unjustified pay differences if salary placement, progression or variable pay is inconsistent. Conversely, unexplained clustering of predominantly female jobs in lower grades can signal that the evaluation framework itself needs closer review. The purpose is to determine whether the classification system supports, rather than obscures, equal-pay analysis.
Use the Findings to Correct the System
Where the review identifies weaknesses, remediation may require updated job descriptions, revised factors, corrected weights, re-evaluation of jobs, new classification rules or a replacement gender-neutral system. Article 10 requires unjustified differences to be remedied within a reasonable period in close cooperation with workers' representatives in accordance with national law or practice. Changes should therefore be documented so that the employer can explain both the original problem and how the revised system prevents recurrence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Directive require one specific job evaluation method?
No. It requires objective, gender-neutral criteria, including skills, effort, responsibility and working conditions, but it does not prescribe one universal scoring model.
Must joint pay assessment remediation review job evaluation?
Article 10(4) requires implementation of the measures to include analysis of existing gender-neutral job evaluation and classification systems or the establishment of such systems.
Can soft skills be considered in work-of-equal-value analysis?
Yes. Article 4 states that relevant soft skills must not be undervalued.
Related Guides
Official Sources
Requirements and practices differ by jurisdiction and organisation. Check current local law, official guidance and professional advice for a specific situation.