Women’s Day, Equal Pay Day, and fairer times
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| Quelle: NOMOS Glashütte/SA Roland Schwertner KG | |
The traditionalist: Carola Weiß is one of four watchmakers at NOMOS Glaashütte who is capable of applying sunburst polishing, a typical characteristic of Glashütte watchmaking. This is more than just a work of art. In the old days, before watches were dustproof, caliber specialists in Glashütte devised a way of trapping dust in the decorative polish of the rough surface before it could enter the movement. Many methods of handcraft have remained the same or changed very little in the 175-year history of Glashütte.
Bygone times
Still some way to go: This March sees International Women’s Day and Equal Pay Day in Germany—both serve as reminders that discrimination still exists. But not at NOMOS Glashütte.
GLASHÜTTE, FEBRUARY 2021. Any woman wanting to show up for work must first have a permission slip signed by her husband. He has the right to resign his spouse’s position with immediate effect, on her behalf and without her consent. When it comes to where they live or how they spend their money: The man is the head of the family and he alone has the power to make decisions.
These are the laws not of some faraway land, but of Germany only a few decades ago. In 1958, the “Equality Between Men and Women Act” came into effect. In 1962, women received the right to open their own bank account. Since 1977, women were no longer required to obtain the written permission of their husbands to go to work.
Times have changed: Women have long since been free to work where and how they want. Yet equal pay between men and women working in the same positions is still an issue. On average, women in Germany earn almost a fifth less than their male counterparts. It’s called the Gender Pay Gap, and it’s the reason Germany has its own national Equal Pay Day—this year on March 10, two days after International Women’s Day. In purely numerical terms, the Gender Pay Gap means women work unpaid every year up until March 10. It’s the reason why Equal Pay Day also falls around this date in other European countries.
Every year, Equal Pay Day at NOMOS Glashütte falls on January 1. Men and women working in the same capacity earn the same wage. For a long time, the company as a whole has employed more women than men, including in management positions.
If you would like to receive more information about our watches and watchmakers, please get in touch. We’ll gladly connect you with interesting interviewees, and send you more facts and images.
Katrin Bosse-Foy NOMOS Glashütte PR department
+49 35053 404-481 pr@glashuette.com
NOMOS Glashütte/SA Roland Schwertner KG Ferdinand-Adolph-Lange-Platz 2 01768 Glashütte Germany