Law Society publishes equal pay guidance for law firms
Equal pay is a legal obligation, says Law Society.
There should never be a difference in the pay of a man and woman doing work of equal value that can only be explained in terms of difference in their sex.
Law Society CEO Catherine Dixon said: “Equal Pay Day is an opportunity for all organisations to check whether their pay awards are fair and equitable. Today the Law Society publishes guidance for law firms on equal pay. Our guidance helps firms to fulfil their legal obligation and to embed best practice that will enable them to attract and retain the best talent.
"We want all solicitors to be confident that the law is a profession where talent, ability and application are rewarded irrespective of gender or background.”
The Law Society's equal pay toolkit is designed for partners, human resources professionals and anyone involved with the management of a law firm. It refers particularly to gender pay inequalities, but the principles within it can be similarly applied to other groups protected under the Equality Act 2010.
The accompanying equal pay practice note focuses on what a firm should do to respond to its legal duties. The toolkit provides advice on how to do it.
The principal tool for ensuing equal pay is an ‘equal pay audit’ so most of the Law Society's equal pay toolkit is dedicated to that subject. It also outlines measures to prevent inequality creeping into pay systems. Specifically, the toolkit equips firms to:
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Identify and reduce areas of risk
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Carry out an equality impact assessment for any changes to pay systems
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Prevent victimisation of those who wish to discuss pay discrimination
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Carry out an equal pay audit
It is an employer’s responsibility to make sure that its pay system is free of gender and other protected characteristic bias, and not to wait until an equal pay claim is made to correct occurrences of pay discrimination. We recommend that our members adopt a pay system that will reduce the risk of a claim being made. Low risk pay systems are transparent, systematic, inclusive, well-managed, sensitive to job-demands and are monitored. This is in everybody’s interests. It ensures employees are paid fairly for the work they are doing and it helps firms ensure that pay and reward systems are responsive to changing corporate objectives.
