Less than half of the UK's biggest companies have decreased their gender pay gap, according to a BBC report. A depressing 78 per cent of businesses still pay men more than women, with just 14 per cent favouring women.
There was no big improvement in terms of pay disparity - the gap shrunk from 9.7 per cent in 2017 to 9.8 per cent in 2018. All organisations with more 250 employees or more were required by the government to disclose their gender pay gap by 31st March.
Of the 9,961 firms that filed, 7,755 paid male employees more than female staff based on a median hourly pay. Women's rights organisation The Fawcett Society said the results were 'disappointing but not surprising'.
'The regulations are not tough enough. It's time for action plans, not excuses,' said Sam Smethers, Fawcett Society chief executive.
'Employers need to set out a five-year strategy for how they will close their gender pay gaps, monitoring progress and results. Government needs to require employers to publish action plans that we can hold them accountable to, with meaningful sanctions in place for those who do not comply.'
The top three worst offenders in terms of pay gap were, despite decreasing their respective wage disparities, Countrywide Services at 60.6 per cent, 63.4 per cent Independent Vetcare at 48.3 per cent and Easyjet at 47.9 per cent.
