Photo by Suad Kamardeen on Unsplash
According to data released by the UK Government’s Equalities Office, the gender pay gap is still depressingly wide in 2019. Yes, this is depressing given the fact that, nearly 50 years ago, the Equal Pay Act 1970 was passed into law (although it wasn’t brought into force until 1975). The law on equal pay is now, of course, contained in the Equality Act 2010. It is also an area which has also been heavily influenced by EU Law.
Saturday 30 March 2019 was the final date for public sector organisations (employing over 250 people) to submit data on their gender pay gap to the UK Government. Private companies have until 4 April 2019 to submit this information. Thousands of organisations have left this to the last minute or failed to submit the information at all.
The gender pay gap problem is particularly acute in the UK university sector as the BBC reported today:
Big university Gender Pay gap revealed
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47723950
The BBC article contains a useful link allowing employees to calculate the pay gap at their organisation.
On Friday 29 March 2019, The Guardian reported that the gender pay gap amongst male and female graduates is widening (so not a positive picture overall):
Graduate gender pay gap is widening, official figures reveal
Copyright Seán J Crossan, 30 March 2019
Seán Crossan's Scots Law 