Private sector rejects equal pay audits

10/10/2008

Almost a quarter (24 per cent) of private sector firms have rejected the need for equal pay audits, Industrial Relations Services has revealed.

The publication polled 103 employers and asked if it were possible to create pay scales that rewarded workers regardless of their gender, without formal audits.

Report author Noel Murphy was worried by the results: "The right to equal pay for equal work for men and women is enshrined in law through the Equal Pay Act," she said.

"However, our research indicates that not all employees are enjoying equal pay for work of equal value."

"Worryingly, employers do not seem motivated to proactively address pay inequality within their organisations."

The poll did reveal three-quarters of firms surveyed had made some attempt to make pay equal.

However, it discovered of those that had conducted audits, 69 per cent found women were still paid less than men for the same work.

The government is continuing to press employers to fully adopt equal pay for equal work legislation.

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