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Companies ‘named and shamed’ over pay gap

By Steven Swinford DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR

COMPANIES that fail to pay women as much as men will be “named and shamed” in Government league tables for the first time.

All companies employing more than 250 people will be required to publish details of their gender pay gap in a move that puts the Government in direct conflict with business leaders.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which represents employers, warned the Government against “naming and shaming” firms. It suggested that the figures would only present a “partial picture” because women in some sectors are more likely to work parttime than men.

Under the plans, the Government will from April 2018 publish a series of league tables detailing the best and worst companies, broken down by each sector.

Businesses will be forced to disclose how many men and women fall into each salary band to identify companies where men dominate the highest-paid positions.

Financial companies will also have to reveal for the first time how much more they pay men than women in bonuses.

Similar measures will apply to the public sector, where fewer than 40 per cent of female civil servants are women. David Cameron, the Prime Minister, has repeatedly faced criticism for failing to appoint enough women in his Cabinet. Just a third of those attending Cabinet are female.

Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, who is also the minister for women and equalities, said: “I’m calling on women across Britain to use their position as employees and consumers to demand more from businesses, ensuring their talents are given the recognition and reward they deserve.”

Mrs Morgan also announced that the Government wants 15,000 more girls to be studying maths and sciences by 2020, a 20 per cent increase on current numbers.

Carolyn Fairbairn, the CBI director-general, said: “Where reporting can be useful is as a prompt for companies to ask the right questions about how they can eradicate the gender pay gap.

“The Government should consult closely with business to ensure that this new legislation helps close the gender pay gap, rather than ending up as a box-ticking exercise.”

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2016-02-17T08:00:00.0000000Z

2016-02-17T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://dailytelegraph.pressreader.com/article/281556584884194

Daily Telegraph