Posts Tagged equal pay
More Gender Bias in Smaller Firms
Posted by admin in employment law on May 19, 2010
40 years after the introduction of the Equal Pay Act and following the recent media coverage of the new Equality Act, gender issues still abound in the UK workplace. There are still discrepancies between what each gender is paid for like for like work, as evidenced by the recent triumph of the Birmingham Council workers at their equal pay tribunal.
However, recent research shows that employees in small firms are more likely to believe that men are treated more favourably than women. 19% of survey respondents working in firms with ten or fewer employees believed men were treated more favourably in the workplace than women: this figure was only 10% in larger firms.
Of the respondents, as many as a quarter believed that men are paid more than women and two fifths believe men are more likely to get promoted, despite legislation outlawing gender and other discrimination.
Employees can legally expect to be treated the same as employees of the opposite gender and assessed solely on their merits. They can also expect to be paid the same as opposite-sex employees for the same work, or work of the same value. An employment law solicitor should be your first port of call if you believe you are being treated unfavourably in the workplace as a result of your gender.
Triumph at Employment Tribunal for Council Employees in Equal Pay Case
Posted by admin in employment law, raleys solicitors on May 17, 2010
A large group of female council employees which includes cooks, cleaners and care assistants are set to share a large compensation payout following the decision of an employment tribunal. The ladies were employed by Birmingham City Council and took their equal pay case to the employment tribunal because they had not been paid bonuses that male employees had received.
The bonus payments in question were paid to male refuse collectors and were so high that some refuse collectors earned 160% of their basic salary, meaning one in particular took home over £50,000 in a year whilst a female employee on the same pay scale earned less than £12,000.
The employment tribunal ruled that this was a case of unequal pay and that the bonus payments paid to male refuse collectors were discriminatory. The Employment Tribunal said that the bonus payments were not justified because they were rewarded to male employees simply for performing their duties properly.
The women concerned and their solicitors have called the ruling a huge victory for equal pay.