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Possible Causes of Gender Pay Gap and How to Tackle It

on Friday, 22 February 2019.

The Government Equalities Office has published two new pieces of guidance to help employers close their gender pay gap by both identifying the root causes of their gender pay gap as well as what steps and actions can be taken to eradicate it.

The first guide: Eight ways to understand your gender pay gap focuses on eight potential causes of a gender pay gap. The guidance recommends that employers look for pay discrepancies in different job types and departments (including seniority structures). The guide also focuses on specific parts of employment, from recruitment to termination, and provides an insight to employers on which of their policies or practices could be contributing to their gender pay gap, with suggestions for improvement.

The second guide: Four steps to developing gender pay gap action plan focuses on employers working hand in hand with staff to obtain feedback, which should then be used to formulate effective action plans. Employers are encouraged to analyse and monitor their action plan to ensure that it is having the desired effect and is integrated into the organisation.

Victoria Atkins (Minister of Women) stated, "we want employers to understand the causes of their gender pay gap and create action plans that will close those gaps for good.”

The GEO has found in its new research that more companies are now reporting on their gender pay gap since the legislation was introduced in 2017, with 69% of employers now placing closing the gender pay gap at a high or medium priority.

ACAS has also has published updated guidance on Gender Pay Gap reporting for employers. Those companies who find their gender pay gap has increased or that haven’t implemented action plans may find the new guidance helpful.


For more information please contact Helen Hughes in our Employment Law team on 020 7665 0816, or complete the form below.

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