The HR consultants at Purple HR offering their advice ahead of the Gender Pay Gap regulations that are coming into effect in April.
Based in Bournemouth, Purple HR is the brainchild of two female Managing Directors, Mandy Fitzmaurice and Leanne Pick. With new regulations and reporting coming into force this April, they want businesses to understand and tackle the gender pay gap.
Despite previous government attempts at tackling the issue, the hourly pay of female employees is on average 18% lower than men’s. From the 6th April 2017, the latest round of legislation will require business with 250 or more employees to publish their gender pay gap results. Part of a larger government campaign, from April 2018 employers will also be legally required to provide an explanation for their gender pay gap.
Mandy Fitzmaurice, comments:
“It remains true that most organisations will have, to some degree, a gender pay gap. Right now, we recommend undertaking a detailed review of your numbers so that you can understand and address the reasons for any differences. I believe this is an excellent opportunity to look deeper into this issue and introduce new measures to address any pay gap within your business.”
Currently, Purple HR advise all employers to voluntarily explain their numbers, justify apparent disparities, willingly take steps to narrow any gap and keep their teams up to speed.
Leanne Pick said:
“From April, all gender pay gap reports will be available to the public. This means that businesses are at greater risk of internal disaffection, feelings of inequality and ultimately demotivated employees. It will also expose them to potential legal issues such as equal pay and discrimination claims. We know that equal pay can increase business productivity, attract female talent and improve the overall performance of an organisation. Following the 6th April, we strongly advise employers to look at tackling any inequalities in employee pay.”
If you are concerned, Purple HR are available to help employers analyse their reports and make necessary changes through their fully outsourced HR department. They are also offering help on how to best approach employees and discuss pay issues in the appropriate way. For more information about Purple HR, visit www.purplehr.co.uk.
