Knowledge is Power

HR Magazine have been in touch to ask Mark Irvine to write a short piece for a forthcoming edition of their magazine - the idea being that a topical question is posed and a number of 'experts' are invited to respond.

Here is the question and below that what Mark had to say:

"Should employees share their pay information with colleagues?

Yes, definitely.

In a modern workplace, knowing what different groups of employees earn, relative to one another, is a matter of fairness and good practice.

If information and understanding are restricted to an elite group, there is scope for mischief and bad behaviour.

In 1998 UK council and trade unions signed a landmark Single Status (equal pay) agreement, after years of painstaking negotiations.

Both sides acknowledged that many female jobs (e.g. home carers) were badly undervalued and paid less than unskilled male groups (e.g. refuse workers), who earned big bonuses of 50% on top of their basic pay.

But the existence and size of the ongoing pay gap was deliberately kept hidden. By the same employers and trade unions (Unison, GMB and TGWU) who promised - a decade ago - to deliver a non-discriminatory pay structure and better deal for women workers.

So, as in other areas of public life, daylight really is the best disinfectant.

Mark Irvine
Action 4 Equality