Gender Pay Reporting - Are You Ready?
What’s Happening and When
The latest indication are that larger UK Employers will have to publish reports on gender gaps in pay and benefits in 2018 and whilst this may seem like a long way off, It is probable that the reporting period will be on the 2017/18 financial year.
The latest indication are that larger UK Employers will have to publish reports on gender gaps in pay and benefits in 2018 and whilst this may seem like a long way off, It is probable that the reporting period will be on the 2017/18 financial year.
Which leaves just 9 months for
employers to ensure their pay and benefits offer is non-discriminatory.
The Drivers Behind Reporting
Despite the Equal Pay Act being introduced some 46 years ago The 2015 Office for National Statistic’s annual survey of hours and earnings showed wide variances in gender pay. Variances were reported across all industries and services and by location, age, sector, and role. Many of the variances reported were worryingly high.
For example:
- Within education, the average gap was 25.7%
- Across all industries and services it was 19.1%
The Worry for Business
It is probable that any organisation publishing pay disparity data will see a significant deterioration in workforce good will and accompanying tribunal action against them as workers to restore the balance recoup their losses.
The adverse
publicity, time and costs that follow could be worryingly high.
The Way Forward
Concrew Training’s one-day workshop on equal pay auditing helps HR personnel and Management understand the importance of robust equal pay auditing and demonstrates what an effective system might look like. The day also provides time to critique existing or planned process.
Latest Developments
Section 78 of the Equality Act 2010 came into force on 22 August 2016. This provisioning evidences the Government’s ongoing commitment to the introduction of the Gender Pay Gap Reporting Regulations.
The latest indications suggest that the 01 October 2016 date for introduction of the Gender Pay gap Reporting Regulations will be delayed to April 2017 and the exact detail of the regulations will follow later in 2017.
So whilst the exact reporting will not be known until later in 2017 it is probable that the reporting period will cover the period from April 2017 to April 2018.
It is also worth noting that since October 2014 Tribunals have been able to order most organisations to undertake an equal pay audit and publish their findings; being able to demonstrate that a recent audit has taken place can help prevent. There is benefit in undertaking audits at a time that suits the business rather than a tribunal time-scale.
What to do now
Those organisations, with more than 250 employees, who have not identified and addressed their gender pay imbalances before April 2017 will have to report them in 2018.
Those
organisations who have not started auditing and addressing pay and benefit
variances need to do so now!
Concrew Training’s one-day workshop on equal pay audits is a highly effective way to start the process.
#equalpay #equalpayday #gendergap #equalrights #equalityact #hr #humanresources
#concrewtraining #employment #tribunal #CEO #fe #schools #publicsector #unions
A quick update on the above, it now looks as if the first reporting year may be June 2017/18. Secondly there is a strong possibility that the Specific Duties Regulations will require public bodies who employ more than 150 people to publish gender pay gap information
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