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  • Hundreds of companies missed the deadline for gender pay gap reporting. Why is this and how does the problem keep persisting?

Hundreds of companies missed the deadline for gender pay gap reporting. Why is this and how does the problem keep persisting?

Roughly 1,500 British firms missed the gender pay gap reporting deadline of April 4 and are now at risk of being found out by the public.

9,952 companies have published their gender pay gaps for 2021-2022, down from 10,564 last year.

According to statistics, the gender pay gap is shrinking year on year, from 14.3% in 2017-18 to 12.5% in 2020-21. Yet, it is still there, and with many companies not reporting their gender pay gaps, the picture isn’t complete and could therefore be either better or worse than it appears.

A YouGov survey of 16,000 adults found just one in five women who ask for a pay rise are successful, compared to just under a third of men. In addition to a higher general success rate, research suggests men are also more likely to ask for a raise.

Alan Price, CEO at BrightHR says: “Some may scratch their heads and ask what managers can do to help reduce the gender pay gap. Whilst it is certainly a subject that is being discussed more openly, evidence suggests employees are reluctant to discuss it with their bosses.

“If we want to see the end of the gender pay gap, we need to find ways to better facilitate female corporate progression. This could include looking at ways companies unintentionally disadvantage female staff members or considering unconscious bias.”

Here are some tips to help reduce the gender pay gap in your company by up to 2-3% annually • To measure a candidate’s skill level, consider asking them to perform tasks or sit tests to demonstrate their ability. The results gained will be far more objective and if they are standardised, fairness is all but guaranteed, regardless of gender. • Make it a policy to have a set list of questions for every promotional interview, with a list of criteria that candidates need to fulfil. • Be open about salaries, pay rises and rewards. • Be transparent about how your salary calculations are made, using clear-cut, understandable criteria.

--ENDS—

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