Professional equality index: publication by the end of February

Companies with at least 50 employees are required to publish their professional equality index every year. This is a tool designed to measure and eliminate pay gaps between women and men.

This index, presented in the form of an overall score out of 100 points, is the result of various indicators (i.e. pay gap between women and men, difference in the rate of individual pay rises between women and men, number of employees of the under-represented sex among the 10 highest-paid employees, etc.). Each indicator is calculated using a method defined by decree, resulting in scores which are added together to give the company’s overall score.

Please note : that the indicators must be calculated over a p period of 12 consecutive months. This period may not correspond to the calendar year, but it must end no later than December 31st of the year preceding the year of publication, i.e., for the index published in 2024, December 31st, 2023.

The index and the score obtained for each indicator for the year 2023 must be published on the company’s website by March 1st, 2024, at the latest, in a visible and legible manner. In the absence of a website, this information is brought to the attention of employees by any means (posters, e-mail, etc.).

Additional publications for certain companies

The company with an index of less than 75 points out of 100 have 3 years to remedy the situation. To do so, it must implement corrective measures and, where appropriate, pay adjustments by means of a collective agreement or, after consulting the social and economic committee (CSE(1)), a unilateral decision.

The company must inform employees of these measures by any means and publish them on its website (on the same page as the index). This information must be available for consultation until the company achieves an index of at least 75 points.

In addition, when the index is less than 85 points out of 100, the company must, by means of a collective agreement or, after consultation with the CSE, a unilateral decision, set improvement targets for each indicator for which the maximum score has not been achieved. These targets must be published on the company’s website (on the same page as the index) or, if there is no website, must be brought to the attention of employees by any other means. These targets must be available for consultation until the company achieves an index of at least 85 points.

Corrective and remedial measures, as well as targets for progress, must be published after the collective agreement or unilateral decision has been filed with the D.R.E.E.T.S.(2).

(1) Comité Social et Économique (CSE).

(2) Directions Régionales de l’Économie, de l’Emploi, du Travail et des Solidarités (Drrets).