Equal Opportunities Commission denies it has pay gap between male and female staff

Equality watchdog the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has been forced to deny it pays its female employees less than their male counterparts.

The EOC receives £9m a year from the government to push for equality and close the gender pay gap.

Figures revealed in an answer to a Parliamentary question found the average salary for women working at the commission was £25,128 – almost £2,000 less than the amount paid to men.

However, the EOC denied the allegation and cited data to prove that no such pay gap exists.

Jenny Watson, chair of the EOC, said: “The figures quoted include the ‘take home’ pay of part-time staff and therefore cannot be used to compare salaries.

“The only accepted way to compare salaries is to use full-time equivalent earnings, which show that no pay gap exists at the EOC.”

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The average salaries of male and female staff at the EOC using the full-time equivalent earnings of part-time staff, are £28,022 and £28,340 respectively, she added.