Mandatory gender pay reporting to be introduced in the UK

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Mandatory gender pay reporting to be introduced in the UK

Just before the UK parliament was dissolved for the forthcoming general election, the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill received Royal Assent.  One element of this new Act is to introduce mandatory gender pay reporting in the UK for employers with over 250 employees. 

To date the government has only introduced gender pay reporting on a voluntary basis.  This has not been successful, as evidenced in a report in August 2014 which revealed that only five companies had published their gender pay gap information through the voluntary scheme.

The exact detail of the new mandatory reporting rules won’t be published until the new UK government is in place.  However, UK employers with over 250 employees should act now in preparation for this change. 

It would be prudent for such employers to check their current categories and grading of employees or put a formal grading system in place if none exists.  This will allow employers to undertake an equal pay audit and check (before they are obliged to report) whether there is any gender pay gap.  If there is a pay gap, now is the time to rectify the problem before it becomes public.

Further information

For further information or to discuss any of the issues raised, please contact Sophie White at Abbiss Cadres on (+44) 203 051 5711

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