Gender pay equity in public sector employment: An analysis of compensation disparities and overtime allocation across municipal departments

The public sector maintains official salary systems and equality policies yet women and men continue to experience pay differences when total compensation is evaluated. The research conducts a thorough examination of gender pay equity throughout a large municipal workforce by studying both base salary and overtime and longevity pay. The research uses administrative data from more than 10,000 employees spread across 42 departments to analyze compensation disparities through a theoretical framework that includes Human Capital Theory and Discrimination Theories and Institutional Theory and Gender Stratification. The research shows that unequal overtime distribution creates more than 60% of the total pay difference between genders. The departmental level shows substantial differences because cultural elements together with structural aspects determine how equity outcomes develop. The departments that demonstrate strong equity performance provide practical examples which organizations can use to develop reform strategies. The research demonstrates that meaningful gender pay equity in public sector organizations requires specific data-based interventions together with enhanced organizational responsibility. Note: This analysis is cross-sectional in design; therefore, the findings reflect associations rather than causal relationships, and longitudinal replication is recommended to establish causality.