The CIPD has responded to the recent deadline for gender pay gap reporting calling for companies to take clear steps towards equality rather than simply reporting their status.
“It’s time for action,” said Charles Cotton, senior reward and performance adviser for the CIPD. “The numbers are what they are, it’s the action that businesses take that matters.
“Organisations need to work with their workforce to understand what is preventing women from being able to progress and share a clear action plan to redress the balance,” he continued. “Equally, employees should be curious about their organisation’s gender pay gaps and demand action in order to create fairer workplaces.
“This is fundamentally an exercise in fairness. While we may not expect a significant fall in gender pay gaps in the first few years, fast forward a decade and there will definitely be questions asked if companies are still failing to close the gender pay gap.”
Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD also expressed disappointment that many employers were still not providing a narrative or action plan. “Organisations that simply provide their numbers are failing to meet the increasing appetite and expectation for transparency amongst all stakeholders, including employees, investors, and regulators,” he said. “Financial figures would never be given without any explanation for them, and gender pay gap reporting should be no different.
“As we head into the third year of gender pay gap reporting we need to see more of how organisations are responding and the actions they are taking.”
