Mind the gap

7 December 2017 By Aimee Donnellan Follow @aimeedonnellan

Some British companies have suspiciously reported no gap between the pay of male and female employees, the Financial Times found. The government thought transparency would help close the divide. To be credible, though, the data must be audited – and offenders punished.

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Fifteen UK companies have submitted data showing a difference in pay between male and female employees that is statistically improbable, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 7.

The companies reported no gender pay gap, which is measured by calculating the median and mean of hourly wages by gender and comparing the figures. The firms ranged across sectors including retail, charitable organisations, recruitment, and science and technical activities.

UK companies with more than 250 employees - estimated to number 9,000 - are legally required to report the hourly pay gap between male and female employees to the government by April 2018.

By Dec. 7, 310 employers had registered their pay gap data with the government.

“Any evidence that employers are breaching the law can be investigated and they risk being subject to enforcement by the Equality and Human Rights Commission,” the Department for Education said.

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