British employers must publish how much they pay men and women

The legislative obligation to disclose gender pay gap came into force in the UK. It applies to all employers with more than 250 employees. There are more than 9,000 such employers. The measure will affect approximately half of all employees in the country (about 15 million people).

According to the BBC website, the current gender pay gap in the UK is 18.1% (for all workers) and 9.4% for full-time employees. The aim of the new legislative measure is to reduce discrimination in the workplace in order to achieve better economic results.

Public sector employers are required to publish the numbers as they were on 31st March 2017. Private employers and charities should publish their employees' pay as on 5th April 2017.

The data should be available on the employers' websites and on an official government website no later then in April 2018.

The following figures are required:

  • The median gender pay gap (comparisons of male and female employees' pay with mid-level pay in the company),
  • The average gender pay gap (division of the total amount of pay by the number of employees),
  • The median gender bonus pay gap,
  • The average gender bonus pay gap,
  • The representation of men and women receiving bonuses,
  • The representation of men and women in four groups of the company's pay structure.

So far, six employers have published their numbers on the special government website.

Employers with a gender pay gap will be asked to publish action plans to address the issue.

Is it really a gender problem?

Gender pay gap and equal pay are two different things. Equal pay is for men and women who are doing the same job, and it has been required by law for decades. Gender pay gap is the indicator of the average income of men and women.

Critical voices of both employers, and a number of lawyers, point out that companies are being accused of pay discrimination against women. In reality, however, it is a simple fact that the growth of women's careers is usually checked by motherhood and subsequent childcare.

Rather than gender pay gap, it's a "maternity" pay gap which can be reduced by involving men in childcare equally and by giving preference to products and services from companies that offer flexible conditions to working mothers.

What do you think about the difference in how men and women are paid and the need to publish it?

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Article source BBC - British Broadcasting Corporation
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