What’s the difference between Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap?

Many businesses are focusing on the gender pay gap because new rules have come into place saying that companies must disclose average pay for men and women, including bonuses. By April 2018, large companies of 250 people plus will have to publish these results by law.

So far, we’ve already heard the furore around the wildly differing salaries at the BBC. It’s such hot news that the new Chief Executive of easyJet has scored a fabulous piece of PR coverage by revealing that he has taken a £34,000 pay cut so that his pay is in line with the outgoing female predecessor’s.

You might be a business that advocates Equal Pay for men and women, but you may still have a gender pay gap problem. So, what’s the difference?

Equal Pay

This is the right to be paid the same for doing equal work – regardless of whether you are a man or a woman. For example, if you are recruiting for two part-time professionals – say, admin assistants for example, fulfilling exactly the same job description, on paper the salary will be the same.

The Gender Pay Gap

This is different – it’s the disparity between average pay between men and women in a workforce, whatever their job or position might be. For example, many companies with more senior employees who happen to be male, will find they have a gender pay gap.

That said, there will be other issues that affect pay disparity. For employees who have been at a company for a while, things like long service and achievements will affect pay rises, which are, ultimately, at the employer’s discretion.

Part-time professionals and the gender pay gap

We say that the discussion around pay can only have a positive effect. The more that gender pay imbalance is discussed, the more likely it will become a board room issue.

Once gender firmly features as an item across all companies on the diversity agenda, we may even see change happen that affects how seriously part-time professionals and flexible working is taken by companies.

If you’d like to discuss your flexible recruitment options, please get in touch with us today. We’d love to hear from you.