Mind the gap: mandatory gender pay gap reporting

For the first time, the biggest employers in the South West will have to measure and then report on how they pay men and women. A local HR expert is advising all local businesses – large and small - to review the way they set their pay rates.

By Spring 2018, organisations that employ 250 or more people will be obliged to publish annual data on the gender pay gap within their workforce. Although the information does not need to be published until next year, the data reported will be based on a snapshot date from last week - 5 April 2017.

Mark Roby, an HR advisor from Stephens Scown LLP’s employment team explains: “The snapshot date that employers need to report on has now passed, but organisations with more than 250 employees will now need to carefully compile this data to ensure that it meets the requirements of the regulations. The regulations are complex and, despite some detailed non-statutory guidance from Acas, there are a number of tricky issues for employers to get to grips with in this first year of reporting.

“Although only larger employers are affected by these regulations, employers of any size should bear in mind that pay information can already be used as evidence to support legal claims for equal pay. With mandatory reporting raising the profile of pay differentials, all employers should consider reviewing the methods they use to set pay rates in their business.”

Stephens Scown has over 290 staff, including more than 50 partners, across its offices in Exeter, Truro and St Austell. It was named UK Law Firm of the Year at the British Legal Awards 2016. For more information visit www.stephens-scown.co.uk