The role of equal pay auditing in resolving unequal pay: More hindrance than help?
Book chapter
Patrick, A. 2023. The role of equal pay auditing in resolving unequal pay: More hindrance than help? in: Hamilton, F. and Griffiths, E. (ed.) The Evolution of the Gender Pay Gap: A Comparative Perspective Routledge. pp. 153-168
Chapter title | The role of equal pay auditing in resolving unequal pay: More hindrance than help? |
---|---|
Authors | Patrick, A. |
Abstract | The introduction of the Equal Pay Act 1970 in Great Britain had an immediate effect on the incidence of unequal pay for equal work. 50 years on however, unequal pay remains an intractable issue, partly due to a pervasive culture of pay secrecy that prevents women from discovering potential instances of pay discrimination. A wide range of regulatory measures under the banner of “pay transparency” are often proposed to combat this problem. One such measure is equal pay auditing. This chapter examines the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) recommended method for conducting voluntary equal pay audits. The EHRC tells employers that this method will establish whether their organisation is compliant with the Equality Act 2010. However, this chapter argues that there is a disconnect between the EHRC’s method and equal pay law, which prevents employers who conduct an audit from identifying individual cases of unequal pay for equal work. Given this disconnect, this chapter argues that the EHRC’s auditing method may be counterproductive, as it may mislead employers and employees about the existence of discriminatory pay. |
Sustainable Development Goals | 5 Gender equality |
10 Reduced inequalities | |
Research Group | Law and Politics |
Page range | 153-168 |
Book title | The Evolution of the Gender Pay Gap: A Comparative Perspective |
Editors | Hamilton, F. and Griffiths, E. |
Publisher | Routledge |
ISBN | |
Hardcover | 9781032368160 |
Electronic | 9781003333951 |
Copyright Year | 2024 |
Publication dates | |
10 Nov 2023 | |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 12 Jun 2023 |
Accepted | Jun 2023 |
Output status | Published |
Web address (URL) | https://www.routledge.com/9781032368160 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003333951-12 |
Language | English |
https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/8q660
Restricted files
Accepted author manuscript
78
total views2
total downloads1
views this month0
downloads this month