Employers must dismantle barriers to gender equality exacerbated by Covid-19

The coronavirus crisis may jeopardise advancements in gender equality, and organisations should not underestimate the future consequences of sidelining their pay gap reporting, says Jeff Phipps

The UK has some of the strongest employee protection laws in Europe, yet gender equality remains an issue. According to the Office for National Statistics, women are paid on average 17.3 per cent less than men: a figure that has improved only marginally in recent years. While regulations are in place to protect women, we risk losing these advancements during the coronavirus crisis.

A study by think tank Autonomy found that over one million jobs with the highest exposure to the Coronavirus pay poverty wages, and a staggering 98 per cent of those workers are women. Yet, the British government has suspended gender pay gap reporting due to the uncertainty facing companies because of Covid-19, removing the pressure on businesses who should be playing an active role to support women. Unfortunately, when crisis strikes, most businesses revert to outdated ways of working. This makes it challenging for women to work and perform at their best due to the lack of support, flexibility and resources.

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