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What can you do to promote equal pay in the office?

Equal Pay Day 2022, which fell on 20 November this year, marks the day when women effectively begin working for free for the rest of the year due to the average gender pay gap.

Office for National Statistics figures show the average pay disparity between male and female UK workers increased to 8.3 per cent, up from 7.7 per cent in April 2021.

The date, calculated by the Fawcett Society, arrives later than last year’s 18 November, but lands on the same date as in 2020, showing the lack of progression made on the UK’s gender pay gap in the last two years.

The Fawcett Society’s campaigning led to the introduction of gender pay gap reporting, introduced by the UK Government in 2017.

Flexible working is key

By law, men and women must get equal pay for doing ‘equal work’. This is work that equal pay law classes as the same, similar, equivalent or of equal value.

A report in June this year showed 43 per cent of UK companies reported an increase in their average gender pay gap.

The Fawcett Society says that by abandoning questions about an applicant’s pay history in previous employment, offering flexible working, demonstrating routes to progression and tackling workplace harassment, employers can create a productive, thriving, and equal workplace.

Other steps when hiring or promoting could include:

Skill based assessment

Ask candidates to perform tasks they would be expected to perform in the role they are applying for. Use their performance on those tasks to assess their suitability for the role.

Encourage salary negotiation

Women are less likely to negotiate their pay. This is partly because women are put off if they are not sure about what a reasonable offer is. Employers should clearly communicate the salary range on offer for a role to encourage women to negotiate their salary.

Multiple women in shortlists

When putting together a shortlist of qualified candidates, make sure more than one woman is included.

Greater transparency

Introducing transparency to promotion, pay and reward processes can reduce pay inequalities.

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