PAY DISCRIMINATION
Equal pay questionnaire challenges pay taboo
The government's new equal pay questionnaire could pose a serious cultural and legal challenge to many British companies, says Mercer Human Resource Consulting.
The questionnaire, which was introduced on 6 April 2003, will help employees who believe they are the subject of unequal treatment in terms of pay. They will now be able to request information on other employees' pay levels to establish whether or not they have received equal pay.
Employers urged to conduct pay reviews
Gary Bowker, employment law consultant at Mercer, said: "Secrecy around pay is one of the biggest obstacles for women who believe they have been discriminated against. Talking about pay - who gets how much and why - has long been a workplace taboo."
He added: "The new procedure should not pose any threat to employers who have fair and transparent pay systems in place. But employers with opaque pay structures may be in for a shock, and could face a high risk of successful claims for equal pay."
Bowker called on employers to carry out equal pay reviews: "Employers who conduct equal pay reviews to eliminate sex bias in their pay systems will be well placed to respond to the questionnaire. They will also minimise the risk of a successful equal pay application."
Want to know more?
To find out more about the equal pay questionnaire, take a look at our news item published on www.e-reward.co.uk 1 April 2003. You can download a copy of the questionnaire on the DTI's Women and Equality Unit web site at www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk
Mercer Human Resource Consulting "helps organisations create measurable business results through their people". It has more than 13,000 employees in 40 countries worldwide. Find out more at www.mercerhr.com
Posted 1 May 2003