Newsflash: Gender pay gap – Equal pay case to proceed

What do we already know?

We have updated you in our Equal Pay blogs on the makeup and complexities of equal pay claims and the risk of these if you have gender pay gaps in your workforce.

We have also been keeping you up to date over the past year or so on the Government’s proposals to introduce new gender pay reporting requirements and how our Gender Pay Gap Audit service can help you with this.  For an overview of the reporting requirements see our February 2016 Newsletter Government reforms (2): Gender pay – mend the gap!.

What’s new?

The Tribunal hearing the case of Brierley and others v. ASDA Stores Ltd (available here) has decided as a preliminary issue that the approximately 7,000 current and former ASDA store workers bringing equal pay claims can compare themselves with depot workers in distribution centres.  The Tribunal found that the two sets of workers were employed on common terms.

The store workers’ equal pay claims can now proceed, the total value of which has been estimated at over £100m. The store workers argue that the (predominantly male) depot workers in ASDA’s distribution centres are doing work of equal value to them and yet are being paid substantially more.  The Tribunal will now turn its attention to whether this is the case.

This equal pay case highlights a continuing focus on gender pay gap and equal pay issues in the workplace and the importance of analysing any pay gaps.

Our Gender Pay Gap service

If you have 250+ employees, we’d love to tell you about our bespoke Gender Pay Gap Audit & Advice service.  Just get in touch and we will be happy to explain how we can support you.