Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Equality, diversity and inclusionLatest NewsEqual pay

Equal pay audits shunned by private sector

by Mike Berry 10 Oct 2008
by Mike Berry 10 Oct 2008

A quarter of private sector firms believe equal pay audits are “unnecessary”, according to research by Personnel Today’s sister publication Industrial Relations Services (IRS).

Of 103 employers polled by IRS, 24% said salary structures that rewarded workers fairly regardless of their gender were attainable without formal audits.

Reluctance to carry out equal pay reviews is widespread, the survey found, with six in 10 firms insisting they should not be mandatory for private sector employers.

Report author Noelle Murphy said: “The right to equal pay for equal work for men and women is enshrined in law through the Equal Pay Act.

“However, our research indicates that not all employees are enjoying equal pay for work of equal value. Worryingly, employers do not seem motivated to proactively address pay inequality within their organisations.”

Even so, three-quarters of the 103 employers surveyed had made some effort on the equal pay front, albeit mostly on an informal basis.

Of those firms that had undertaken audits, two-thirds (69%) found that men were being paid more than women for work of equal value within their organisation. But among employers where pay inequalities were detected, there was little evidence of organisations doing anything to redress the balance.

Harriet Harman’s Equality Bill, expected to be introduced to Parliament next year, will put new burdens on public sector employers – and private firms bidding for state contracts – to identify and close gender pay gaps. But it stops short of forcing all private firms to conduct equal pay audits.




Avatar
Mike Berry

previous post
World of Learning conference – watch and learn
next post
Pizza Hut staff get taste of the future as firm serves up rebranding exercise

You may also like

Government hikes work visa salary threshold

4 Dec 2023

Wage stagnation has cost UK employees £10,700 a...

4 Dec 2023

Spotify to cut one in six jobs

4 Dec 2023

Hiring talent overseas with simple HR compliance (webinar)

4 Dec 2023

Ikea announces 2024 pay rises

4 Dec 2023

BetterMe for Business: How to Build Wellness Culture...

4 Dec 2023

Top 10 HR questions November 2023: Holiday carry-over

4 Dec 2023

HR strategies for global employees in crisis situations

4 Dec 2023

Covid inquiry: Matt Hancock ‘would have doubled sick...

1 Dec 2023

Eight most unusual employment tribunal cases in 2023

1 Dec 2023

  • BetterMe for Business: How to Build Wellness Culture at Work PROMOTED | Ever encountered a...Read more
  • Global growth with simple HR compliance (webinar) WEBINAR | In an increasingly global marketplace...Read more
  • Talent acquisition: How AI can complement a ‘back to basics’ approach PROMOTED | Artificial intelligence is now...Read more
  • What will it mean to be an HR professional in 2024? (webinar) WEBINAR | As we approach 2024...Read more
  • HR Budget Planning for 2024: Preparing your People Strategy PROMOTED | As organisations continue to adapt...Read more
  • Almost a fifth of UK workers feel undervalued – we need to solve this PROMOTED | A new report has found...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2023

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+