Taking action to address the Gender Pay Gap

Following last year’s review of the Scottish Business Pledge we are currently implementing a range of changes around the elements and structure of the Business Pledge. The refreshed Business Pledge will have three mandatory elements:

Paying the real Living Wage
Action to address the Gender Pay Gap (proportionate to the size of the company)
No inappropriate use of zero hours contracts.

First in a series of Business to Business learning events, The Scottish Government recently held an event which focused on how businesses can take action to address the Gender Pay Gap featuring representatives from hosts for the day KPMG, fellow Business Pledge signatory City Building (Glasgow) LLP, and Close the Gap.

Taking part in a panel discussion, speakers discussed their experiences, offering guidance on how different types of businesses can ensure they address the Gender Pay Gap. In addition to this valuable business insight, Close the Gap were on hand to share information about the helpful tools and external support available, particularly to SMEs looking to better understand this complex issue and identify appropriate action.

The following links outline the range of guidance and assistance available:

Online Self-Assessment Tool developed by Close the Gap to help small and medium sized businesses find out how their business can benefit from improved gender diversity
Employer Methods for Addressing the Gender Pay Gap – Scottish Government report outlining the Business Benefits of closing the Gender Pay Gap
Scottish Government Fair Work Action Plan – provides an overview of the actions being taken by the Scottish Government to achieve the 2025 vision for Fair Work.

We are currently finalising arrangements for our next Business to Business event which will focus on the new environmental impact element of the Business Pledge. We intend to hold this in October and will be in touch with further details shortly.

If you would like to register your interest in upcoming events or have any other queries in the meantime please contact us at scottishbusinesspledge@gov.scot.