Gender pay-gap shame

When common sense and fair play fails to deliver ... shame can often do the trick.

The gender pay gap figures we reveal today do, in essence, only reveal what we already knew.

That fact being that the majority of companies pay men more than women and it’s pretty much always been the case.

While the stats in many areas come as no surprise, they do, when revealed in stark black and white, give some of our biggest employers nowhere to hide.

What was once a universally accepted (if frowned upon) truth was all very well when hidden from view. Today that inequality is there for all to see.

It should make for uncomfortable reading for all the companies highlighted, but some will be squirming more than others.

The construction industry it will come as little surprise to find, reported the worst average median gender pay gap at 25%, but education - an area of employment awash with well-educated women - also fared poorly.

An average median pay gap of 20% will not sit well. Naturally, it has been picked up as a stick to beat the government with.

It’s one thing to force big employers to publish their pay gaps, but what are they going to do to make them close that gap?

While there is probably much more they can do, the onus has to be on the employers themselves to address the issue.

They are in the best position to balance their workforce, whether by reevaluating their recruitment policy or getting more women into the boardroom. These figures are bad PR, and shame can work wonders.

If companies don’t act to close the gap, it will be crying shame for all.