The majority of businesses reject the need to conduct equal pay audits believing their pay systems are non-discriminatory.
These are the findings from research conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
According to their study 62% of small businesses including those implementing new pay structures deny the need for an assessment of pay.
The problem appears to be a top-down issue for 24% of respondents who blame senior management for lacking interest in the issue.
Dianah Worman, CIPD Diversity Adviser commented: “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 don’t 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.”
Worman warns that failure to carry out equal pay audits will ‘block’ the realisation of the workforce’s potential: “Promoting the business benefits of paying employees fairly to change the mindsets of employers is essential to driving progress.”
