Pay disparity comes in two guises: a gender pay gap and unequal pay. The first is a measure of the difference between the average pay of men and women across an organisation, regardless of job role, and is often due to a lack of women in senior roles. The second is where women are paid less than men for doing the same or similar job, which is unlawful.
While a gender pay gap does not necessarily mean that there is an equal pay issue, or vice versa, the current drive towards more transparency has led many employers not only to assess, explain and address their gender pay gap for the purposes of mandatory reporting, but also explore whether any of their pay practices have a discriminatory effect.
Carrying out an audit will have a number of benefits. Not only does it enable an organisation to identify any pay gaps across its business, assess risk and take targeted action to reduce that risk, it can also provide employers with valuable insight into their pay and reward strategy and the impact it has on any gender disparity.
Through our gender pay and equal pay audits, we can:
- Advise you on the scope of the audit
- Analyse the relevant pay data
- Identify and advise on areas of risk
- Produce an action plan
- Advise on reporting and communication
- Develop a privilege strategy and conduct the audit under legal privilege