Equal pay audits

The TUC has welcomed the new powers under the 2010 Equality Act to order equal pay audits, but has said the remit is too limited as the Act will only ever apply to a handful of employers, and only after the law has already been breached.

The TUC’s response to the government consultation on audits also criticised the exclusion of small firms and start-up companies from the provision.

As a result, the TUC is still calling for compulsory equal pay audits as required by section 78 of the Equality Act — a part of the legislation the government has never enacted. It says that as a minimum, the government should review the current voluntary approaches to ensuring equal pay which the TUC believes are not leading to the level of change needed.

www.tuc.org.uk/tucfiles/623/TUCequalpayauditsJuly2013.pdf