Clare Lyonette chaired a stimulating debate on February 6th in London, hosted by Public Policy Exchange, on 'Closing the Gender Pay Gap, Supporting Women and Promoting Equality in the Workplace'.

Morning speakers focused upon tackling gender inequalities and reviewing latest policies and included Alasdair MacDonald, Director of Programmes at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Dr Carole Easton OBE, Chief Executive of Young Women's Trust, and Julie Jaye Charles, CEO of Equalities National Council.

The afternoon speakers focused on embedding gender equality and supporting women in your workplace: Jenny Pollock and Emma Shute from Women to Work, and Chloe Chambraud, Gender Equality Director from Business in the Community. Delegates included academics, union representatives, government representatives, local and district councillors and HR directors from a variety of public and private sector organisations.
 

A study by Anne Green, Neil Lee (LSE) and Paul Sissons (Coventry University) demonstrates that the sector which an individual works in has a significant impact on their pay, but that the level of local demand for labour is also important. The report is an output from an ESRC-funded project on ‘Harnessing Growth Sectors for Poverty Reduction’. It highlights that low pay is a key feature of the accommodation/food services, residential care, wholesale/retail, and the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors. Three of these sectors (accommodation / food services, residential care, wholesale and retail) are likely to have the highest employment demand in the medium term. Hence policies are needed which focus on upgrading skills and developing career in order to help reduce low pay and in-work poverty. Find out more in the Growth Sectors report.

Recent research undertaken by the Warwick Institute for Employment Research on the impact of changes to teachers’ pay on equality in schools in England commissioned by the NASUWT has been cited in the School Teacher's Review Body 26th Report. The research found that teachers with protected characteristics had been particularly disadvantaged by the approach taken by schools. NASUWT have expressed concern about widespread retrospective alteration of school pay policies and practice. Further research will be undertaken in the future to understand the impact of the changes to teachers’ pay in the long-term.