Prime minister vows to eliminate gender penalty within a generation
New regulations are to be introduced forcing companies with more than 250 employees to disclose data on equal pay.
Launching a consultation on the proposal this week, Prime Minister David Cameron vowed to eliminate the gender pay gap “within a generation”. The gap between men and women’s pay is currently 19.1%, meaning women earn about £0.80 for every £1 earned by men, according to the Government Equalities Office.
Legislation to introduce the measure was passed in the last Parliament. The consultation, “Closing the Gender Pay Gap”, looks at the detail on what might be published, and when, among other matters.
Mandatory gender pay gap reporting will be introduced in the first half of 2016, but may be phased in to give smaller companies time to prepare. Support for employers could include workshops, seminars and software to help companies make the calculations. They would be required to publish the data every year or less frequently, and possibly on their website.
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