Members of the Institute of Directors (IoD) in Ireland and experts from McCann FitzGerald and Powerscourt met to discuss the causes of the gender pay gap, how it can be remedied, and practical ways employers can prepare for mandatory gender pay gap reporting, given the publication of the Government’s Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019 in April.

Once enacted, the Bill will require employers to publish information relating to the remuneration of their employees by reference to gender. Employers with 250 staff or more will initially be obligated to report on their gender pay gap, applying to businesses with 150 employees after two years, and a year later to those who employee 50 people or more.

Mary Brassil, partner in employment law at McCann FitzGerald, said: “Gender pay gap reporting will involve substantial work for employers, who may be exposed to legal action if they are not prepared for the legislation. As the Bill continues to move through the Oireachtas, companies should now start a process of introspection to ensure that they understand the data and can provide clear and concise explanations of same.

“When we look at lessons learned from the United Kingdom, organisations that publish a narrative with their gender pay data often cite under representation of women in senior management roles as one of the main reasons for the gap.

“Once the legislation is enacted in Ireland, employers in scope will be required to explain the data produced, and as such, should undergo careful self-assessment of the practices in place to ensure that they are providing an accurate and reliable reflection of their gender pay data.”