MYTHS ABOUT THE GENDER PAY GAP

Equal pay and the pay gap are the same

Paying men and women differently for doing the same, or equivalent, work is illegal in Britain. Having a gap between the average pay for men and women, however, is not.

A pay gap doesn’t imply discrimination

The pay gap shows an average, so companies can make the case that women choose to be in lower paid or part-time roles - and there is nothing they can do about it. But if they are consistently recruiting women to junior roles and promoting men, it could mean a bias (even an unconscious one) in their recruitment process.

It’s not THAT bad

The figure often reported for the UK gender pay gap is 9.1 per cent - but this is only the average for fulltime employees. The average national pay gap where both are taken into account is 18.4 per cent. To exclude part-time workers ignores a vital part of the picture. More women work part-time largely because they still have more unpaid caring responsibilities.

Motherhood isn’t an issue

The pay gap widens as women reach the age of having children. We also know women can face discrimination. According to the EHRC, bias against pregnant women and new mothers in the workplace could affect as many as 54,000 women a year – pushing them into more junior roles with less chance of promotion, with others losing their jobs entirely.

But they just need to ask for more money!

It’s a tired old excuse: that women earn less because they aren’t as confident or assertive when negotiating their salaries. But studies have shown that even when women do negotiate, whatever tone they take, it can have a negative impact on their chances of being hired. And, as the case of Carrie Gracie, the BBC’S former China Editor, showed - even when a woman asks for the same salary as a man, and is told she will get it, it still doesn’t necessarily happen.