What does equal pay really mean?
The Equal Pay Act, introduced in 1970, says that people should be paid the same for either:
What are the main areas of pay inequality?
Women - according to the a recent survey by the World Economic Forum (WEF), women's salaries in the UK currently lag behind their male counterparts by up to 18 per cent, despite the Equal Pay Act. Worryingly, in some sectors, such as the Civil Service, the gender pay gap can be as wide as 25 per cent. The reasons for the ongoing pay gap are complex, but include bosses' tendencies to reward masculine qualities of 'toughness' and 'competitiveness', as well as some firms still having work cultures and career structures that favour male employees.
Ethnic minorities, black and Asian workers - not only is it harder for black and Asian workers to find work, according to the Commission for Racial Equality, but they earn less too. According to a report from the Cabinet Office's Performance and Innovation Unit on ethnic minorities and the labour market, ethnic minority men and foreign-born ethnic minority women were consistently paid less than white people. A Pakistani-born woman, for example, typically received 34 per cent less pay than equivalent white female colleagues for the same job. Although reasons for this inequality remain unclear, the report concluded that discrimination is certainly a key factor.
Women - according to the a recent survey by the World Economic Forum (WEF), women's salaries in the UK currently lag behind their male counterparts by up to 18 per cent, despite the Equal Pay Act. Worryingly, in some sectors, such as the Civil Service, the gender pay gap can be as wide as 25 per cent. The reasons for the ongoing pay gap are complex, but include bosses' tendencies to reward masculine qualities of 'toughness' and 'competitiveness', as well as some firms still having work cultures and career structures that favour male employees.
Geographical divisions - where you live can make a difference to how much you are paid. Historically there are discrepancies between the more lucrative salaries of London and the south east and other parts of the country, with the higher cost of living in London and the south east often a consideration.
Job titles - managers, for example, working within marketing and personnel earn more than their counterparts working within local and national government who, in turn, earn more than those working in the transport or services sector, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics New Earnings Survey.
What happens if I accept a job and find I'm being paid less than equivalent colleagues are?
We can help you bring an equal pay claim by lodging a case at an employment tribunal if you suspect you are being paid less because of your ethnic origins or gender.
Although the employer can try to defend a claim by arguing that the reason for the difference in pay is based on something other than gender or ethnic origin, such as market forces, discrimination legislation introduced in 2001 made it easier to bring successful pay claims in the case of sex discrimination. Under the rules of the Burden of Proof legislation the burden is shifted onto the employer to disprove a pay regime is not discriminatory, rather than on the employee who has to prove it is. It is hoped that the Government will eventually include racial discrimination under the new rules.
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