06 Apr Employers to publish their gender pay gap figures for the first time
The gender pay gap, an equality measure that shows the difference in average earnings between women and men is facing its biggest overhaul in years and thanks to the government larger employees and even the public sector will need to be more transparent about it.
Thousands of employers will publish their gender pay gap figures for the first time from today, helping break the glass ceiling and create a more modern workforce.
The UK is one of the first countries in the world to require gender pay gap reporting and follows the government’s commitment to introduce the requirements at the last election
Minister for Women and Equalities Justine Greening said:
“We have more women in work, more women-led businesses than ever before and the highest proportion of women on the boards of our biggest companies. This has helped us to narrow the gender pay gap to a record 18.1 per cent – but we want to eliminate it completely.”
Ensuring that women have the same opportunities as men to fulfil their potential in the workplace is a key part of building a country that works for everyone, this will bring about great change to the over 9million workers who will be included in this historic reporting which represents half of the UK’s entire workforce.
Sir Philip Hampton (Chair, GSK) and Dame Helen Alexander (Chair, UBM plc), Chairs of the Hampton-Alexander Review: FTSE Women Leaders said:
“An uneven distribution of men and women through the different levels of an organisation can be a significant cause of a gender pay gap. The Hampton-Alexander Review wants to see more women in senior executive positions and on the board.”
The new gender pay gap mandatory reporting requirements are part of wider work the Government is doing to support women in the workplace. This includes £5 million to increase returnships, offering 30 hours of free childcare, and introducing shared parental leave and new rights to request flexible working. There is also extensive cross-Government work to get more women into the top jobs at the UK’s biggest companies.
