Equal pay day

According to the TUC, women will effectively be working “for free” for the next 57 days, from 4 November until the New Year, as a result of an increase in the gender pay gap.

In 2013, Equal Pay Day fell on 7 November, 3 days later. It has fallen earlier this year as the pay gap is on the rise again.

Women earn, on average, £2.53 less per hour than men which means that women earn approximately 80 pence for every £1 paid to a man.

Despite the Equal Pay Act coming into force more than four decades ago, this is clear evidence that the glass ceiling is still very much in existence.

According to the World Economic Forum “Global Gender Pay Gap Report 2014”, the UK used to be one of the top 20 countries globally for gender equality. However, it has dropped its position from 18th to 26th. Anne Francke, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute said: “…every woman would have had to work to [the age of] 80 to get the same pay as a man aged 65.”

According to a TUC analysis of official figures, a man is more likely to be paid £50,000 per annum as a woman.  Frances O’Grady, TUC General Secretary, said “Companies must be held more accountable for how they pay their staff and made to publish information.” The gender pay gap for women working part-time is larger and they effectively stopped being paid on 27 August.

Please click here for more information regarding equal pay.

If you would like to discuss an equal pay issue, then please contact our expert employment law solicitors based in Canary Wharf for a confidential no obligation discussion. We have extensive experience of pursuing and defending equal pay and discrimination claims. Our employment solicitors can be contacted on 0207 956 8699 or info@rllaw.co.uk.