What is the Gender Pay Gap?

recruitmint • July 8, 2019

The gender pay gap is something that has been in the media spotlight lots recently. It is spoken about heavily and there is uproar surrounding it.

In this short post, we break down what the gender pay gap is. We also talk about the difference between the gender pay gap and equal pay. We want to do this to make sure you, as a business owner, is not caught up in these regulations and legislation.

The gender pay gap in a nutshell

The gender pay gap, also known as the gender wage gap, is the average difference between the salaries of the two genders. Traditionally women are generally paid less than men, and the recent changes in regulations are clamping down on this, with pays of both genders having to be shared publicly for larger companies.

The difference between the gender pay gap and equal pay

Both of the above points deal with the difference in salaries for male and female workers, however, they are two different issues. Equal pay means that men and women working in the same employment, performing equal work, must receive equal pay. This has now clearly been laid out in the Equality Act of 2010.

The difference? The gender pay gap measures the difference in average earnings between men and women. This will look into the average earnings of both genders across an organisation of the labour market as a whole. The figure is expressed as a percentage of the men’s earnings. For example, in Britain right now there is a gap of over 18.1%.

For help as a hiring manager in your business, speak to the recruitment experts by giving us a call. We can help you get the right new staff members in your business, and assist with the right salaries you should offer job seekers.

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