Companies must consider the reputational damage of further delays in reporting gender pay gaps after the suspension of the April 2020 deadline alongside difficulties in annual comparisons, argues PwC’s Katy Bennett
The government’s decision to suspend the gender pay gap deadline allowed many organisations to delay reporting their 2019/20 data, while they focused on the immediate response to Covid-19. However, it is encouraging to see that almost half of in-scope organisations went ahead with reporting.
This shows that many companies had already completed their analysis by the time of the announcement. It also shows that increasing numbers of employers are taking their diversity and inclusion commitments seriously.
For those able to report, this voluntary approach offered an opportunity to reinforce to staff and stakeholders the company’s continued commitment to closing their gender pay gap.
The government has not yet announced when the new deadline for 2019 reporting will be in place. Companies whose business operations have been significantly impacted by Covid-19 are likely to delay their reporting until hard deadlines are reintroduced by the government.
