'Last chance saloon' for firms on reporting gender pay gap

Firms yet to publish their gender pay gap by next week's deadline are being warned they are entering the "last chance saloon".

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) raised the spectre of unlimited fines for those who fail to comply with the disclosure demand.

Employers with 250 or more workers - believed to total around 9,000 companies - have to submit their median
and mean gender pay gap figures to the Government Equalities Office by 4 April - that is the Wednesday after Easter.

The deadline for public sector employers is earlier - Good Friday.

According to the Government's database of company data , fewer than half have submitted the required information.

Figures that have so far been published by 3,745 such firms show 77.6% have a median gender pay gap in favour of men, 8.3% have none, and 14.1% in favour of women.

The legal requirement was issued amid warnings of a lack of progress in tackling the gap - with campaigners warning it could take 100 years to close at current rates .

The EHRC said any employer failing to meet the deadline would first receive an enforcement letter.

It warned that a further failure to comply would leave the company at the mercy of the courts.

EHRC chief executive, Rebecca Hilsenrath, said: "The clock is ticking and with just 10 days to go, those who haven't reported really are entering the last chance saloon.

"This is not optional. It is the law and we will be fully enforcing against all companies that do not report.

"This legislation is in place to bring about better gender equality in the workplace and any employer not complying needs to ask themselves tough questions, re-think their priorities, be prepared for serious reputational damage, and be ready to face a very unhappy workforce."