PAY DISCRIMINATION
EOC sets targets for equal pay audits
The Equal Opportunities Commission wants half of large employers with more than 500 workers to have carried out a pay audit by the end of next year, and a quarter of the smaller organisations to have done so by December 2005.
Julie Mellor, the EOC's chair, said: Women are still being short-changed at work. It's time the pay gap was consigned to the history books, but that won't happen until employers routinely check they really are paying women fairly. By measuring progress against these targets we will be able to assess whether a legal requirement to do pay reviews will be needed in future.
New equal pay forum launched
The EOC has also launched an equal pay forum in partnership with Opportunity Now, a business-led campaign group for equality in the workplace. The first year's programme for the forum will focus on sharing best practice and encouraging voluntary pay reviews.
Membership is available to any organisation committed to carrying out an equal pay review or that can show evidence of having carried out a review within the last three years.
Clara Freeman, the chair of Opportunity Now, said: This joint initiative between the EOC and Opportunity Now will deliver a complete package to tackle unequal pay. It provides the technical knowledge of the EOC and the practical expertise available from Opportunity Now members and will help close this unacceptable pay gap.
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Posted 21 January 2002