Following the success of *Grazia’*s groundbreaking Mind The Pay Gap campaign – in which you, our dear reader, successfully petitioned to change the law to demand pay transparency for UK workers – the victory became even more of a reality last week. The Government announced it is pressing ahead with plans to force companies with over 250 employees to publish their gender pay gap, highlighting those which fail to close it in proposed league tables.
Speaking to Grazia last week, Education Secretary and Women and Equalities Minister Nicky Morgan said, ‘These are the boldest steps yet in the Government’s pledge to eradicate the gap in a generation. Calling for employers to publish their gender pay gap on their websites and setting out league tables means that companies can identify where women’s progress is being blocked and take immediate action to resolve this. I want to see the end of gender stereotypes from the classroom to the boardroom and for all women to have the opportunity to reach their full potential.’ And so do we.
Nicky says she expects companies to start collecting data from April 2017, with the first official publication of league tables expected in 2018. From here, the Government will be able to compare which sectors are leading the way and encourage those that aren’t to up their game. As well as publishing their average gender pay gap and bonus pay gap, around 8,000 UK employers across the country will have to publish the number of men and women in each pay range – to make clearer than ever where the gap is at its worst. Every employer will also be obliged to publish their gender pay gap on their website.
It was back in December 2014 that we – along with the original Ford strikers from Dagenham and actress Gemma Arterton – marched to the Houses of Parliament. Last February, we rallied the House of Lords. This followed months of petitioning from you, successfully lobbying your MPs in your thousands. And while last week’s news is finally proof that our hard work is starting to pay off, we still have a long way to go. Following last week’s announcement, The Fawcett Society raised concerns about the methodology companies will use to arrive at their figures and asked whether businesses will be compelled to act. ‘Naming and shaming employers that do not comply is not enough and there is still no requirement for companies with large gender pay gaps to act on these results,’ said chief executive Sam Smethers. ‘Without stronger penalties and pressure for companies to take action, those employers who are doing the right thing risk being undercut by those who won’t play by the rules. Simply reporting the gap is not enough. We’ve got to get serious about addressing the causes.’
Despite these concerns, we are undoubtedly making progress and you can rely on Grazia to continue our campaign with gusto. Stay tuned...