Equal Work, Fair Pay: New ILO Tool Helps Moldova’s Employers Uncover Wage Gaps

Ten Moldovan companies from different sectors, regions and business sizes piloted the tool and shared feedback on its usability and practical benefits.

A fair salary should reflect what a job demands, from the skills needed to perform it to the responsibilities and effort it carries. A new digital tool developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) gives employers in Moldova a practical way to examine that principle within their own workplaces, helping them compare jobs objectively and identify pay differences that may lack a valid explanation.

The automated Excel-based tool evaluates the value of different roles within an enterprise and compares remuneration for work of equal or comparable value. Its focus is on the job itself, independently of the personal characteristics of the employee holding it, giving employers and workers a clearer starting point for conversations about fair pay.

Looking Beyond Job Titles and Assumptions

Four factors guide the assessment: skills and qualifications, responsibilities, effort and working conditions. Examining these elements provides a structured way to compare roles with different duties, helping businesses recognise when jobs carry similar value and assess whether their pay arrangements reflect that value.

Rosalia Vazquez-Alvarez, Senior Economist at the ILO, described the tool as a practical instrument that allows enterprises to enter relevant information and quickly obtain an assessment of gender-based pay differences. She said its value lies in reducing dependence on perceptions and stereotypes, supporting a gender-neutral salary structure and respecting dialogue between employers and workers. The findings can help businesses plan any necessary adjustments over time, turning the assessment into a basis for action.

Ten Companies Test Its Everyday Value

Ten Moldovan companies from different sectors, regions and business sizes piloted the tool and shared feedback on its usability and practical benefits. All are members of the National Confederation of Employers of the Republic of Moldova (CNPM), bringing a range of workplace experiences to the testing process.

For EuroCredit Bank, a major benefit was the clearer view of its remuneration practices. Oxana Cortac, Head of the bank's Human Resources Department, described the tool as easy to understand and user-friendly, saying it does not require an additional budget for a complex job classification and evaluation system. She explained that the assessment helps identify potential gender pay differences and areas needing improvement, reducing subjectivity in salary decisions through clear, objective criteria.

Making Equal Pay Easier to Put Into Practice

The ILO says the tool will help enterprises prepare for pay-transparency requirements, including those associated with the 2023 EU Pay Transparency Directive. According to the organisation, Moldova has already incorporated definitions of work of equal value, gender-neutral job evaluation and pay-transparency obligations into national legislation, making practical support for businesses an important part of implementation.

The ILO, Moldova's Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and social partners will continue supporting uptake, with plans to adapt the instrument for companies employing fewer than 50 people and develop a more accessible web application. These steps could make the assessment easier to use across businesses with different resources and administrative capacities.

The initiative supports Moldova's implementation of the ILO Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100), and the equal-pay priority within its Decent Work Country Programme for 2025–2027. Developed with financial support from the ILO and the Government of Switzerland through the Women for Peace & Prosperity project, the tool gives businesses a concrete way to examine how they value work and make better-informed decisions about pay.