How employers and employees can tackle the gender pay gap
08 November 2016
8 November 2016
The AAT has produced a white paper following a round table event which discussed what practical measures employers and employees could implement in order for the gender pay gap to be significantly reduced.
Recommendations included
- Rather than women needing to reduce their maternity entitlement to ‘share’ their leave with their partner, paternity leave should instead be boosted in its own right to allow the father more time to bond with his child and avoid the feeling of mothers having their leave penalised.
- Those in a senior position in companies should provide good examples of flexible working to demonstrate how it benefits the employee, productivity and the company as a whole. This would help to counteract the feeling that those who regularly carry out flexible working were seen as ‘second-class workers’; less ambitious, less capable, and less hungry for a successful career.
- All employers should equally support their staff’s requests for childcare where possible, while mothers and fathers themselves should more strongly consider how to split their responsibilities.
- Companies should consider shorter hours, coupled with the employee being able to create their own flexible working day, as it could lead to better output which is ultimately what all employees should be judged on during review periods. A keen emphasis on a strong work-life balance should be led by senior management, and involve both genders to enable greater equality.
Read the full recommendations made in the white paper.