Only a small number of UK employers have so far complied with gender pay gap reporting regulations, a survey has revealed.
According to XpertHR, the issue is that many are waiting to see what other companies in their sector do first before publishing their own data. Some are also hoping a large number of reports will be in the public domain before they are forced to release their own figures.
Despite this situation, just over one in four (26.5%) mid-sized organisations (250-999 employees) and just over half of larger firms (1,000+ employees) have already calculated their pay gaps, although they have not yet made the information public.
XpertHR’s content director Mark Crail said: "The BBC finds itself at the centre of the gender pay inequality debate again this week, but it’s something that many of the UK’s larger companies are going to have to start addressing. Rather than leaving it until the last minute, they should be ensuring that their data is accurate, the calculations are in line with the legislation and that the reporting requirements can be met."
The survey found that as a result of calculating and reporting their gender pay gaps, employers were most likely to:
- Conduct further analysis (65.6%);
- Develop an action plan to close the gap (45.8%);
- Review recruitment processes (27.1%);
- Review promotion processes (21.9%); and
- Review pay levels for men and women (17.7%).
A mere one in six said that having calculated and reported their gender pay gap, they were likely to take no further action.
Meanwhile, the Fawcett Society is recommending that the gender pay reporting regime should be extended to include far more demographic information about employees, and that it should also cover smaller businesses.
Age, disability, ethnicity, sexuality and employment status should all be included in companies’ gender pay reports, it said, with companies required to report if they have 50 or more employees.
Emma Woollacott is a freelance business journalist. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the Guardian, the Times, Forbes and the BBC.
Only a small number of UK employers have so far complied with gender pay gap reporting regulations, a survey has revealed.
According to XpertHR, the issue is that many are waiting to see what other companies in their sector do first before publishing their own data. Some are also hoping a large number of reports will be in the public domain before they are forced to release their own figures.
Despite this situation, just over one in four (26.5%) mid-sized organisations (250-999 employees) and just over half of larger firms (1,000+ employees) have already calculated their pay gaps, although they have not yet made the information public.
XpertHR’s content director Mark Crail said: "The BBC finds itself at the centre of the gender pay inequality debate again this week, but it’s something that many of the UK’s larger companies are going to have to start addressing. Rather than leaving it until the last minute, they should be ensuring that their data is accurate, the calculations are in line with the legislation and that the reporting requirements can be met."
The survey found that as a result of calculating and reporting their gender pay gaps, employers were most likely to:
- Conduct further analysis (65.6%);
- Develop an action plan to close the gap (45.8%);
- Review recruitment processes (27.1%);
- Review promotion processes (21.9%); and
- Review pay levels for men and women (17.7%).
A mere one in six said that having calculated and reported their gender pay gap, they were likely to take no further action.
Meanwhile, the Fawcett Society is recommending that the gender pay reporting regime should be extended to include far more demographic information about employees, and that it should also cover smaller businesses.
Age, disability, ethnicity, sexuality and employment status should all be included in companies’ gender pay reports, it said, with companies required to report if they have 50 or more employees.
Emma Woollacott is a freelance business journalist. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the Guardian, the Times, Forbes and the BBC.
