Marion Henkel

Collective bargaining agreements in Germany’s public sector (notably TVöD and TV-L) standardize pay, working time and leave provisions, thereby strengthening formal equality and transparency in academia. We show that these formal rules interact with workforce composition and life-cycle differences – higher part-time rates among women, gendered caregiving interruptions, and a younger female age profile – to produce higher total fixed-term rates and persistent disparities in pay and career progression. Equality of rules therefore does not ensure equitable outcomes. We recommend improved disaggregated data and targeted, evidence-based measures within CBAs and public policy to address structural drivers and promote equity.