Minister calls on employers to narrow the gender pay gap

The average pay gap between men and women has remained static over the last year at 19.2%, prompting ministers to call on employers to implement change.

The latest figures show the pay gap is the highest in the South East at 22% and lowest in London at 16.3%.

The Minister for Women and Equalities, Nicky Morgan, said: “These figures confirm the need for us to drive forward change. That’s why we are working with business to ensure all large employers publish gender pay gap information, including bonuses. And most importantly we’ll tackle the underlying causes of the gender pay gap – we will ensure that women are given the support they need to progress from the classroom right through to the boardroom.

To ensure true equality the government has pledged to:

• force larger employers to publish information about their bonuses for men and women as part of their gender pay gap reporting
• extend plans for gender pay gap reporting beyond private and voluntary sector employers to include the public sector
• work with business to have boards made up of 33% women, and eliminate all-male boards in the FTSE 350 by 2020.

Figures released by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills show that women working full time are paid less than men in 90% of sectors, with those working in financial and insurance sectors among the worst affected.

Businesses may wish to check their employment policies to ensure they comply with all regulations relating to equality in the workplace.

Please contact Jackie Cuneen if you would like more information about the issues raised in this article or any aspect of employment law.