PRESSURE is mounting on businesses to publish their gender pay gap data following an action group meeting to discuss the disparity.
Dozens attended BDO鈥檚 offices in Windward House on the evening of Thursday 6 June for the second Gender Pay Gap Round Table.
Attendees included four States Members 鈥 Housing Minister Sam M茅zec, Deputies Lucy Stephenson, Hilary Jeune and Helen Miles 鈥 after 32 influential businesswomen wrote to politicians last month urging them to support a proposition requiring private-sector companies to publish their gender pay gap.
Primary signatory Kate Wright, cultural change specialist and founder of The Diversity Network, invited all 49 politicians to the round-table discussion.
Mrs Wright said it was 鈥済ood鈥 to have some Members, but that she was 鈥渉oping for more next time鈥 as the invitation remains open. 鈥淚t was an excellent turnout from the business community, and so great to have male business leaders so actively engaged.鈥
She said that constructive open discussions with businessmen and women who have lived experience of their industries could be a new way of working and developing policy.
At the session, attendees discussed the benefits to businesses of being open about their gender pay and seniority gaps, and brainstormed what resources were useful for employers to make it happen.
Anonymous application forms which focus on skills rather than years of experience, flexible working for mothers and fathers, and toolboxes instructing firms how to publish their data were among the suggestions put forward.
The group argued in their letter to States Members that improving female participation in the workplace was an 鈥渆conomic imperative鈥 for 新加坡六合彩 in the context of an ageing population and falling fertility rates and required 鈥渦rgent and meaningful action鈥 from employers and government.
The round-table discussions began in response to the news that the average gross hourly earnings of men are 12% higher than those of women.
The growing coalition is also seeking to lobby the Council of Ministers 鈥 who do not support a proposition from Deputy Louise Doublet 鈥 to address the issue of workplace inequality.
If the proposition were to be approved, the government would be required to contact all businesses employing more than 50 people to ask them to voluntarily publish data showing the difference between the average earnings between their male and female employees, with an accompanying explanation and action plan to address any imbalance.
If too few firms have agreed to the request by International Women鈥檚 Day 2025 鈥 8 March 鈥 the proposition requires the government to start preparing legislation to make the publication of such data a legal requirement.
Deputy Doublet has tabled the proposition for a later States sitting, hoping the group can work to gain traction and support among Members to get it over the line when it is debated.
