EOC renews call for equal pay audits

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) will again push for equal pay audits today, according to reports in the national press.

An EOC study out today will show that 68% of employers have no plans to conduct an audit. Jenny Watson, acting chair, said existing pay laws were too "expensive, complex and adversarial" and had failed to close the gender pay gap.

Women working full-time earn 18% less than men and 40% less if they work part-time, according to figures from the EOC.

Under the new proposals, all employers would be expected to check pay arrangements for gender discrepancies and consult staff on developing action plans.

Appropriate targets, monitoring and reporting arrangements should be developed to ensure transparency, the EOC said.

In May, Julie Mellor, then chair of the EOC, told Personnel Today that she was unsure whether the gender pay gap in the UK wouldl ever fall to zero.