The Trade Union Congress (TUC), the UK’s largest trade union body, has called for fines to be imposed on employers failing to comply with gender pay reporting laws.
The deadline for gender pay reporting, mandated for organisations with over 250 employees, lapsed on April 4th, requiring them to legally disclose their gender pay figures.
Despite the enactment of the reporting law in 2017, the gender pay gap persists, narrowing at an achingly slow pace, according to TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak.
“At the current rates of progress, it will take more than 20 years to bring men and women’s pay into line. That is not right. We cannot consign yet another generation of women to pay inequality,” Nowak emphasised.
He stressed the need to move beyond mere publication of gender pay gaps and urged for the implementation of action plans by companies to close these gaps. Furthermore, Nowak proposed penalties for non-compliant bosses.
Recent data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) as of April 2023 revealed a pay gap of 7.7 per cent in favour of men, despite a gradual reduction over the past decade.
Goldman Sachs and the UK Parliament
Notable instances of pay disparity include Goldman Sachs with a mean hourly pay gap of 54 per cent and the UK Parliament, which exhibited a 14.3 per cent gap favoring men across all employees, and 7.7 per cent for full-time staff.
In response to these findings, Sheila Flavell CBE, Chief Operating Officer for FDM Group, underscored the importance of holding organisations accountable for their gender pay gaps. Flavell emphasised the necessity for governmental and industrial collaboration to foster equality, particularly within critical sectors like technology.
Echoing this sentiment, Joanna Kori, Head of People at Encompass Corporation, highlighted the ongoing need for businesses to prioritise inclusivity and equality. Kori emphasised the responsibility of every organisation to contribute towards closing the gender pay gap and fostering a fair and empowering work environment for all employees.
The call for action from prominent figures underscores the persistent challenge of pay inequality and the urgent need for concerted efforts to address it across industries.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
