Gender Gap to be Targeting with Disclosure of Bonuses

Larger employers will need to publish their staff bonuses for both male and female employees in an attempt to eradicate the gender pay gap in the UK.

Companies with over 250 members of staff will be forced under law to reveal how much each member of staff has obtained in wages and bonus with the move expanded to not only the private sector but the public sector too.

Attempt to Remove the Gender Pay Gap

The move from the government is seen as a fresh drive to bring women's earnings in line with those of men, who on average earn around 19.1% more. The move has been deemed by the Government as a "first step" to eradicate the gender pay gap. The proposals also include a target to include women on the boards of all the UK's top 350 companies with the aim of getting women into at least a quarter of boardroom seats in FTSE 100 firms was met.

The new policy which was revealed by the UK Government will cover more than ten million workers. However, not all are covered or open to bonuses. According to figures, the UK wage gap is almost 20% worse than the rate in the rest of the EU.

Speaking before the introduction of such a policy, Prime Minister, David Cameron said: “You can’t have a true opportunity without equality. There is no place for a pay gap in today’s society and we are delivering on our promises to address it.”

Nicky Morgan, the Minister for Women and Equalities, stated that the policy would ensure that everyone is given a fair shot to succeed, regardless of their gender.

In a statement she said: "From the opportunities women are given in school to the ability to move up the executive pipeline, we are determined to tackle the barriers to women achieving their all," she said.

“Business has made huge amounts of progress already in recent years – the gender pay gap is the lowest since records began, but it should appal us all that, 100 years on from the Suffragette movement, we still don’t have gender equality in every aspect of our society.

“I’m delighted that we are going further than ever before to ensure true gender equality in the workplace.”

Equal Pay in the UK

The reforms come after a consultation on equal pay and gender inequality in the workplace asked employers and employees for their views on how, when and where the data should be published as well as advice on how to prevent gender inequality in the UK workplace.

Experts have stated that having or caring for children is one of the main reasons for gender inequality, According to statistics, women aged 18-39 in full-time work experience a very low or gender pay gap The gap for hourly earnings opens up from the age of 40 onwards especially if women have children. On return to work, many find that suddenly they have reduced opportunities for career progression with some companies forcing women out of the company or onto a lower wage.

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