Bridging the gender gap

The new Government has vowed to take steps to increase gender equality in the workplace.
Included in the Queen's Speech yesterday was the vow to "promote equal pay and take a range of measures to end discrimination in the workplace".

Commenting on the announcement Gareth Osborne of APA suggested that it was long overdue and claimed that 40 years on from the introduction of the Equal Pay Act, a new approach to closing the gender pay gap "is desperately needed".

"It's important to consult with both employers and employees (and their professional bodies, like APA and CIPD) on any new measures. There may be opposition by some employers but it is important that this is not be reduced to an old fashioned, ‘union-style’ labour debate.”.

He added that increasing the number of women on the boards of listed companies (and all other businesses) is "a definite advantage ", but said this may need a fundamental shift in boardroom attitudes. "Extending the right to request flexible working and promoting a system of flexible parental leave will also bring positive changes to UK workplaces and benefit to millions of employees.”

According to the TUC, the full-time mean gender pay gap is currently 16.4 per cent.

APA