posted on 03 October 2016, updated on 03 October 2016
The government announced plans in early 2016 to introduce mandatory gender pay gap (GPG) reporting in the private and voluntary sector from early 2017. On 18 August 2016 it published a consultation document on GPG reporting for public sector employers with more than 250 employees (including schools), which broadly mirrors the requirements in the private sector. It intends to amend the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011 to include GPG reporting. These Regulations already require public sector bodies with more than 150 employees to publish data on the diversity of the workforce.
Although the legislation for the public sector has yet to be made, the expectation is that employers will be required to publish information on their gender pay gap and gender bonus gap on an annual basis. The plan is that pay information must be based on a ‘snapshot’ of data collected on 5 April each year, beginning in April 2017. Bonus information must be based on the preceding 12-month period, beginning with the 12 months leading up to April 2017. Employers will have 12 months in which to analyse and publish the information, meaning that first publication will be required on or before 4 April 2018.
Organisations will have to publish data on:
- their mean and median gender pay gap
- their mean and median bonus pay gap; and
- the proportions of male and female employees in each salary quartile.
The Regulations will define what is meant by ‘pay’ and ‘bonus’. Relevant public authorities must publish the information on a website in a way that is accessible to employees and the public. Access to the information must be free of charge.
Authorities will be required to retain this information online for three years in order to show the progress made.
The consultation ends on 30 September and the government hopes that Parliament will approve the legislation by the end of 2016.
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