Around 40% of firms that have published their gender pay gap for the 2019 reporting round so far have reported a widening of the gap compared to 2018. Companies with a wider median pay gap include Kwik Fit, Npower and Virgin Atlantic. Yet, only 10% of large employers (1,146 companies) have published the required information ahead of the deadline on 4 April 2019. In general, these employers have reported a slight improvement in their gender pay gap (8.4% compared to 9.7% in 2018).
This year's reports so far also demonstrated that 74% have a gender pay gap in favour of men and 14% favour women. The remaining 12% do not have a gender pay gap.
Whilst most employers will find a gender pay gap embarrassing, the risks of being over-zealous in correcting it is something we are seeing emerge in our work for clients. In particular, senior male managers are with some regularity claiming that they have been forced out in order to improve gender pay gap reporting numbers. Whatever the merits of closing the gap, they do not justify discrimination against men.
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