Workers should be legally protected from being disciplined for discussing their pay with colleagues, Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) chairwoman Jenny Watson insisted last night.
In a final interview before the EOC is replaced by the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) on 1 October, Watson said it was time for new legislation to speed up the closing of the gender pay gap.
“Employers were more engaged with us on pregnancy arrangements and flexible working than they were on pay,” she told Personnel Today.
“It is still a disciplinary offence in many companies to talk about your pay with colleagues. There should be legislation against that – if employers have a fair and transparent system then they have nothing to hide.”
Watson also repeated calls for employers to be subject to mandatory equal pay audits to ensure they were not discriminating against women.
For more from Personnel Today’s interview with Watson, and an in-depth look at the challenges faced by the CEHR, see the 25 September issue of Personnel Today.
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