Gender pay equity is now a worldwide issue, and a priority for many lawmakers as efforts to close the pay gap are launching across the globe.
CANADA: Ontario Labour Minister Kevin Flynn leads a gender wage gap working group to address workplace inequities faced by women. Canadian data shows that women in Ontario are earning 14 to 26 percent less than men. Issues to be addressed include the gender wage gap as well as daycare issues and workplace harassment.
ICELAND: Iceland introducing legislation to make it the first country to require employers to prove that male and female works are paid equally. Iceland has had pay equity laws for about 50 years, and this new legislation will mandate employers to assess every job, and identify as well as correct all gender wage gaps that are over five (5) percent. Government data shows a current wage gap of 14 to 20 percent, and it aims to remedy within five (5) years.
NEW ZEALAND: A newly introduced bill would require all New Zealand employers to record gender and pay equity data. Employers would have to provide that information to the government for publication, and employees would be entitled to receive such data for all workers that perform the same type of job.
SINGAPORE: New Singapore stock exchange disclosures reveal a sizeable gender pay gap. A Singapore study showed female directors earning 56.8 percent, on average, less than their male counterparts. Listed companies now must calculate pay differences at the board level based on gender.
U.K.: New U.K. regulations are planned to hit employers in April. Private sector U.K. employers will have to publish information about gender pay disparities, with at least 250 employees. This includes differences between mean and median hourly rates as well as bonus payments.