AZE.US
Azerbaijan is moving to tighten its labor rules on gender pay by requiring employers to pay men and women equally for both the same work and different work of equal value, according to draft amendments now under discussion in parliament. The proposal was reported on April 6 by local media outlets covering the Milli Majlis debate.
Under the draft, employers would be required to apply equal pay regardless of gender when the work performed is either identical or considered equal in value. The assessment would be based on factors including working conditions, the nature of the labor function, and tariff-qualification criteria set out in existing reference books.
The change matters because it goes beyond the narrower idea of equal pay for the same title or role. In practice, it would make it harder for employers to justify pay gaps where jobs differ on paper but involve comparable skill, responsibility, and effort. That approach is broadly in line with international labor standards that focus on “work of equal value,” not just identical job descriptions.
The European Union has already codified that principle in its 2023 pay transparency directive, which aims to strengthen equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women and improve enforcement through transparency measures.
If approved, the amendments would mark another step in Azerbaijan’s broader gender-policy agenda. Parliamentary officials said earlier this year that the country’s 2026–2028 National Gender Equality Action Plan would continue government efforts in that area.
For employers, the proposed change could eventually mean closer scrutiny of internal pay structures, grading systems, and how companies define the value of different roles. For employees, it would give stronger legal grounds to challenge wage differences that cannot be explained by objective criteria. That is an inference from the draft language and comparable equal-pay frameworks abroad.