The Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued recommendations regarding proposed changes to UK equal pay legislation. The watchdog suggests that workers should possess a legal entitlement to access information about their colleagues’ compensation when they suspect potential pay disparity for comparable positions.
Concretely, the EHRC proposes that employers should be prohibited from requesting information about applicants’ previous salaries during the recruitment process. Additionally, workers should be able to submit formal inquiries regarding colleagues performing similar roles, with employers required to disclose annual salary figures, hours worked, bonuses, overtime compensation, and job descriptions. The watchdog further recommends that access to job evaluation documentation be provided, including internal grading systems and salary benchmarks, as well as comparative pay rankings within relevant team structures.
A key stipulation in the EHRC’s recommendations involves establishing mandatory response timeframes for employers. The commission emphasized that without such requirements, companies might delay providing information, offer incomplete responses, or avoid compliance altogether. The watchdog characterized this as essential to achieving the stated consultation objectives rather than treating transparency as an optional measure.
The EHRC argues that enhanced pay transparency mechanisms could yield multiple benefits. Beyond facilitating earlier resolution of compensation disputes and reducing employment tribunal cases, such measures may address documented gender pay disparities. Current data from the Office for National Statistics indicates that women in full-time employment earned approximately 6.8% less than their male counterparts as of April. Certain sectors demonstrate wider gaps, with the finance industry showing mean and median pay gaps of 24% and 22% respectively—substantially higher than the national average.
The recommendations emerge as the government reviews potential revisions to equal pay regulations. Ministers are examining the reinstatement of employee questionnaire rights that were eliminated in 2014 as part of deregulation efforts aimed at reducing administrative burdens on businesses.
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