An office manager who argued that her job required the same skills and experience as a male senior site engineer who was paid more, has received £37,998 in an out-of-court settlement with her employer.
Diane Neve worked as office manager for more than five years with Serco, a large multinational corporation that provides facilities, maintenance and systems management to public sector organisations.
Following the payout Serco has agreed to work with the Equal Opportunities Commission, who supported Neve’s case, to tackle pay differences between male and female employees.
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Julie Mellor, chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission, said this case highlighted the need for companies to carry out regular pay reviews to ensure that they are paying fairly.
“That way, they can avoid costly Employment Tribunal cases and can also ensure that they have the pay systems in place not just to reward fairly but also to motivate and retain all their staff,” she said. “This should help with the business bottom line, especially as women are now nearly half the workforce.”
