"The Gender Pay Gap Is A Continuing Reality"

A consultation has been launched by the Government which demands that all top UK firms reveal their gender pay gaps. The top UK law firms will, of course, be included in this upheaval. 

Research by Laurence Simons, specialist legal and compliance recruitment consultancy, has revealed some outrageous statitistics regarding the pay gap between men and women in the legal sector. Laurence Simons Salary Survey 2014/2015 reports that women earn 24% less overall and recieve bonuses which are on average 66% smaller than their male colleagues.

The Prime Minister, David Cameron, said he believes the move will "cast sunlight on the discrepancies and create the pressure we need for change, driving women’s wages up".

He states that the pay gap is the fundemental reason for the introduction of the £9 minimum wage. 

"This will primarily help women, who tend to be in lower paid jobs. It will help close the gender pay gap."

"But we need to go further, and that's why introducing gender pay audits is so important."

Chris Cayley, EMEA Managing Director at Laurence Simons, commented on the proposed audits. He said: 

“In the profession the gender pay gap is a continuing reality. The most recent research from Laurence Simons shows women in the legal profession currently earn 24% less than men and achieve a bonus which is on average 66% less than their male counterparts. The good news is that the gender gap has been closing at an average rate of 4% a year according to our recent research and the profession is currently on track for parity in 2021.

“We do, of course, need to compare apples with apples and a broad range of factors contribute to individual salaries – it’s a complex issue. However, highlighting where there are gaps in pay in top firms and companies shows it’s an issue which is being taken seriously. There is still more to be done in terms of equal pay across gender, befitting a nation with such high standing in the global economy.”

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