Equal Pay Claims & Disputes
Addressing pay gaps when you're paid less than colleagues doing equal work or work of equal value.
What is Equal Pay Claims & Disputes
Equal pay claims arise when you're paid less than colleagues of the opposite sex doing the same work, work rated as equivalent, or work of equal value. The Equality Act 2010 requires equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender.
Equal pay covers all contractual benefits including salary, bonuses, pension contributions, holiday entitlement, and other perquisites. The comparison can be with current colleagues or predecessors/successors in the same role.
Equal pay claims can result in significant backdated payments covering up to six years of underpayment, plus interest. These cases often uncover systematic pay discrimination affecting multiple employees.
Common Reasons
We frequently see cases where women are paid less than male colleagues despite identical roles and qualifications. Common scenarios include men receiving higher starting salaries for the same positions, gender-based bonus disparities, or women being excluded from overtime or commission opportunities.
Promotion and progression pay gaps are particularly common, where men advance faster to higher-paid roles despite equal or lesser qualifications. We also see cases involving job segregation where traditionally female roles are undervalued compared to equivalent male-dominated positions.
Maternity-related pay discrimination creates additional equal pay issues, where women returning from maternity leave find their pay progression frozen while male colleagues advance. Performance-related pay systems sometimes contain unconscious bias favoring male employees.
Historical pay discrimination compounds over time, with initial pay gaps widening through percentage-based increases. Many employers lack transparent pay structures, making discrimination harder to identify until someone discovers the disparities.
Your Rights and Typical Results
Equal pay claims can result in £10,000-£50,000+ in backdated payments, covering up to six years of underpayments plus interest. The amount depends on the pay gap and how long the discrimination continued.
Equal work deserves equal pay. If you suspect gender-based pay discrimination, significant backdated compensation may be available.
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Frequently asked questions
