Majority of UK bodies do not carry out equal pay audits

Interim findings from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's (CIPD) Annual Reward Survey of over 500 UK organisations suggest that less than one fifth of organisations have carried out an equal pay audit during the past five years.

This, the CIPD say, is worrying in the light of the increasing number of tribunals involving equal pay claims, which has almost doubled in the past two years. According to the Employment Tribunals Service, the number of equal pay claims rose from 4, 712 during 1999-200 to 8, 762 during 2001-2002.

The survey also found a massive gap between reward provision in the public and private sectors. The final findings of the report will be launched at the CIPD's Annual Reward Conference on 4 February 2003.

Other key interim findings show that many organisations now treat their staff differently when it comes to pension arrangements and are now more likely to offer defined benefit pension schemes to existing staff and a defined contribution scheme to new workers. Also public sector organisations are still 25% less likely to have a reward strategy than the private sector.

The report also found that the main objective for 71% of organisations is to recruit and retain high performers – most organisations measure and reward on input as well as output with only 30% of organisations linking pay progression to individual performance.

Key speakers at the event include Alan Johnson, Minister of State for Employment Relations, who will look at the aims of the government's approach to reward provision. Nick Clarke, presenter of Radio 4's World at One, will conclude the first day's proceedings by chairing a panel of experts who will discuss the pensions debate.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has over 115,000 members and is the leading professional institute for those involved in the management and development of people

(GMcG)