Carrying out an Equal Pay Audit
What is an equal pay audit?
An equal pay audit involves comparing the pay of protected groups who are doing equal work in your organisation, investigating the causes of any pay gaps by gender, ethnicity, disability or working pattern and planning to close any gaps that cannot be justified on grounds other than one of those characteristics.
An equal pay audit is concerned with an important, but narrow, aspect of potential discrimination in employment - unequal pay for equal work. It does not directly address other aspects of inequality, such as the glass ceiling, but such aspects - which may well contribute to overall pay gaps between, for example, men and women - may be highlighted by the pay audit.
An equal pay audit is not simply a data collection exercise. It entails a commitment to put right any unjustified pay inequalities and this means that the audit must have the involvement and support of managers with the authority to deliver the necessary changes. It is also important to involve workforce representatives to maximise the validity of the audit and success of subsequent action taken.