‘No competitive economy can afford to underuse the productive capabilities of half the population in the way the UK manages to do at the moment.’
This is according to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, in their August 2018 report on the Gender Pay Gap.
The report states that new figures reveal that gender pay gaps of over 40% are not uncommon in some sectors and 78% of organisations report gender pay gaps in favour in men.
Recognising that the pay gap is higher in smaller businesses, recommends that organisations with over 50 employees should required to publish gender pay gap data – expanding from the current 250.
However, the Committee does not believe that public naming and shaming on an annual basis will be enough, by itself, to remedy the gender pay gap in the long term.
Recommendations include:
- Organisations are required to provide some narrative reporting alongside their gender pay statistics and an action plan setting out objectives and targets on addressing pay gaps
- The Government should end the legal uncertainty surrounding the ECHR’s enforcement powers by providing for specified fines for non-compliance
- Sector representative bodies should work with their members and other stakeholders to develop targets and practical guidance