Firms urged to comply with pay laws
Firms have been urged to examine their wage systems to make sure they comply with equal pay laws amid the continued gap between the earnings of men and women.The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said full-time female workers are paid 16.4% per hour less than men on average, rising to 21.6% in private firms.
The commission and the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) published a new guide so employers can check pay systems.
BCC director general David Frost said: "Businesses want to pay people fairly for the job that they do. This guidance should help smaller businesses analyse any pay gap and make any changes required by law.
"Taking action now to make pay systems transparent and fair should help businesses recruit the best talent to enable the private sector to drive economic recovery."
Jean Irvine, an EHRC commissioner, said: "Employers need pay systems that are both transparent and fair. While transparency is not enough in itself to reduce the pay gap between men and women, it does provide clarity. It is difficult, if not impossible, to resolve a problem that cannot be seen.
"What we ask of small and medium-size employers is not difficult - it takes minimal time and effort but can offer a real return. Linking equal work to equal pay will see employees rewarded fairly for the work they do.
"Employees will enjoy the benefits of working for a company which actively promotes equality while employers will protect themselves from a potentially costly and time-consuming equal pay claim."
Jean Irvine, an EHRC commissioner, said: "Employers need pay systems that are both transparent and fair. While transparency is not enough in itself to reduce the pay gap between men and women, it does provide clarity. It is difficult, if not impossible, to resolve a problem that cannot be seen.
"What we ask of small and medium-size employers is not difficult - it takes minimal time and effort but can offer a real return. Linking equal work to equal pay will see employees rewarded fairly for the work they do.
"Employees will enjoy the benefits of working for a company which actively promotes equality while employers will protect themselves from a potentially costly and time-consuming equal pay claim."
© 2012 Press Association