CBI sees dating-style job-share partner website as way to pay equality

EXCLUSIVE

A national online dating-style website to help workers find job-share partners would help close the gender pay gap, a parliamentary committee has been told.

The site would allow people to select the location, pay-scale and profession of the role they were looking for, before putting them in touch with potential partners.

The Trade and Industry Committee was told such a facility would make it easier for women to work part-time after childbirth without damaging their careers.

Susan Anderson, CBI director of HR policy, used the job-share website run by Lloyds TSB as an example of how employees could be aided in finding quality reduced-hours roles.

"If you look at Lloyds TSB, which has an online job-share register, [the CBI] could - with more money - take that beyond individual companies," she said. "Maybe we could get two female engineers in touch to work part-time."

Lloyds TSB has a section on its intranet allowing employees - including those on maternity leave - to search for people to job-share with.

"It works much like a dating site, allowing you to input your requirements and then matching you with people and giving you their contact details," said a company spokeswoman. "You can search for people to share your current role or jointly apply for a new role."

In response to the report of the Women and Work Commission (WWC), the TUC said more jobs for part-time workers was vital to closing the gender pay gap.

Sarah Veale, TUC head of equality and employment rights, told the committee: "We need a huge cultural shift in our attitudes to part-time work."

The WWC reported to the government in February 2006 on the barriers preventing women from fulfilling their potential.

Barometer question

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