Proposed Gender Pay Gap Legislation
In our most recent “Client Update” we provided an update and review of the IR and ER landscape. Over the next few weeks we’ll share our thoughts on some of the key issues.
Next up we look at “Proposed Gender Pay Gap Legislation?”.
Gender Pay Gap Bills
At present, there are two bills on gender pay gap reporting before the Oireachtas. However, it is likely that only one of these will be finally enacted into law – namely, the Gender Pay Gap Information Bill.
The Gender Pay Gap Information Bill
The Bill is at the early stages of the legislative process and will be subject to further amendments. The Gender Pay Gap Information Bill proposes to initially require publication of gender pay data in both the public and private sector entities with over 250 employees. This threshold will gradually fall to a threshold of 50 employees.
Employers will be required to publish differences between men and women in their hourly pay, bonus pay, part-time pay and temporary contract pay. Publication of differences in pay by reference to job classifications may also be required.
The enforcement mechanisms will permit the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission to apply to the Circuit Court for an order requiring an employer to comply with the legislation. An employee of the employer concerned may apply to the Workplace Relations Commission for an order requiring compliance. Designated officers may also be entitled to investigate a sample of employers to ensure that the information published is accurate. Importantly, the precise mechanisms to collate and process gender pay data and the penalties for breach have yet to be determined.
To view previous articles from this Client Update click the links below.
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About Stratis Consulting
Stratis Consulting operates directly at Leadership Team, Chief Executive and Board levels to support organisations who want to inspire, lead and drive change in the areas of ‘Employee Relations, People Strategy and Workplace Innovation’. To learn more about us, or to arrange a consultation please contact our team in complete confidence, at info@stratis.ie or call 01-2166302.
