Is she paid as much as him? The difference between the amount of money paid to men and women for doing the same job has long been a subject of debate.This 1972 Public Service Announcement for the U.S. Department of Labor, using characters from the 1966 Batman TV Show, demonstrates it’s been a long and international struggle.This might be knockabout fun from a different era, or arguably reflect an underlying lack of seriousness, but it’s no laughing matter. Currently calculated at 19.1 per cent, the pay gap between men and women is currently the narrowest since 1997, although the UK still trails behind many European countries.Now, compulsory new reporting is being introduced by the UK government in an attempt to address the issue.From 2016, businesses in England, Wales and Scotland with more than 250 employees will have to report differences in the amounts awarded to men and women, including information about bonuses, and involving public sector staff.
In a statement announced by Prime Minister David Cameron and Women and Equality Minister Nicky Morgan, the government said the new measures aim to eradicate gender inequality in the workplace and remove barriers to women’s success. Morgan also said that the government will work with businesses to eliminate all-male boards.
Key steps:• Every company with more than 250 employees will be required by law to publish the difference between the average pay of their male and female employees• The requirements will be extended to the public sector as well as private and voluntary sector employers• A target to include women on the boards of all the UK’s top 350 companies will be introduced – after the aim of getting women into at least a quarter of boardroom seats in FTSE 100 firms was met
[Read our blog post: Balancing Childcare and work]General secretary of the TUC, Frances O’Grady, commented: “Employers need to look at why women are still being paid less than men and do something meaningful about it.”She added that the reporting should be extended to medium-sized companies and asked that any organisations not complying should be fined.Such comments may give rise to doubts about how well the reporting will be policed and regulated. Medium-sized and small companies are a significant loss to any UK-wide reporting. You might also be sceptical about whether all the large companies will dutifully complete the requirement. Sorry, PM, the dog ate my gender pay gap report. I’ll do one next year, I promise. Fines could be the only effective deterrent. And of the numbers being reported, will they simply be accepted at face value on trust? And if so, is this acceptable?Consultation results concerning how, when, and where gender pay data will be published is expected by the end of 2015. Naturally, holes will be picked in the process, but at Atlantic Resource we think it should be welcomed as a solid starting point for detailed scrutiny and hopefully, ultimately a significant narrowing of the gender pay gap in the UK.Not getting paid what you deserve? Get in touch with us about alternative roles.
