Equal Pay

Equal Pay refers to the legal right for men and women to be paid equally for work that is similar or the same.

Employees can compare any conditions in their employment contract to the equivalent terms in a comparator contract. A comparator is an employee of the opposite gender working for the same employer and performing similar job of equivalent value. However, an employer may be able to fight a claim if they can demonstrate that the reason for the wage discrepancy is attributable to a valid factor other than the employee's sex.

Equal pay claims can be made by men or women. An employee who believes they are not receiving equal pay may request the necessary information from their employer. If an employee is unable to address a problem informally or through the official grievance system, they may file a complaint with an employment tribunal under the Equality Act 2010 while still on the job or up to six months after leaving the job to which the claim relates.

To avoid claims and reputational concerns, businesses should ensure that their pay structures are transparent, conduct an audit if problems are detected, and develop an action plan for correcting unreasonable inequalities.

For further advice on equal pay please contact our specialist team of Employment Lawyers on 03456460406 or fill in our online enquiry form and a member of our Team will be very happy to assist.