Hampshire: Gender pay gap fines could hit over 200 businesses in the region, warns Moore Blatch

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TBM Team

210 Hampshire businesses* will need to comply with new gender gap pay reporting or risk fines of up to £5,000, warns solicitors Moore Blatch.

Regulations which are expected to be in force within 12 months will require the 210 Hampshire-based businesses that employ over 250 people (25 of them based in Southampton) to publish information relating to their gender pay gap in a bid to increase transparency.

Although the power to compel companies to produce this information has been available since the Equality Act 2010 came into force, no regulations had been put in place in order for it to be implemented with gender pay reporting being voluntary.

Under the new regulations, employers will be required to publish the difference between the basic average pay and the average pay for both male and female employees on an annual basis.

It is expected that they will also need to provide information relating to the difference between male and female employees working on a part-time or full-time basis as well as other elements, such as bonuses.

Katherine Maxwell of Moore Blatch said: “Failure to comply with the new gender reporting requirements could result in fines of up to £5,000 so we would recommend that local businesses use these next 12 months to gather and review their data and policies to ensure that they are fully prepared to comply with the new measures and, if necessary, obtain legal advice.”

* ONS 2013, UK number of VAT and PAYE enterprises in 2013, Districts, Counties and Unitary Authorities within region and country by employment size band - Table B1.2

TBM Team