More needs to be done to explain to employers why carrying out equal pay audits makes good business sense, according to Dianah Worman, Diversity Adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
A new survey from the CIPD finds a large number of employers have no plans to carry out an equal pay audit in the near future. The danger is that the gap between the average pay of men and women will stubbornly remain unless employers take action. If this happens it will up the pressure on the government to consider the introduction of compulsory equal pay audits.
The results of the CIPDís Reward management survey 2005 show that the main reasons for not planning an equal pay audit are that:
*The majority of small businesses and those implementing new pay structures (62%) simply presume that their pay systems are non-discriminatory.
*Over a quarter (27%) of respondents use an analytical job evaluation scheme.
*A large number of employers (24%) state that top management do not see the need for an equal pay review.
Dianah Worman, CIPD Diversity Adviser, says, There is still a huge lack of awareness about how equal pay audits can expose underlying bias in the way organisations value female employees. When employees donít feel valued it destroys the way they feel about their employer and damages the trust between employers and workers, which undermines staff commitment, motivation and retention.
Voluntary equal pay audits therefore make sense as good employee relations boosts performance. Failing to carry out an equal pay audit will block the realisation of the workforceís potential. Promoting the business benefits of paying employees fairly to change the mindsets of employers is essential to driving progress.
Equal pay figures show there is still room for progress
A new survey from the CIPD finds a large number of employers have no plans to carry out an equal pay audit
