Construction firms risk court if they miss today’s gender pay gap deadline

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Construction firms that fail to report their gender pay gap by today’s deadline face being named and shamed as well as possible court action.

All companies with more than 250 employers have to submit a report by 4 April, while firms with fewer than 250 can do so voluntarily. 

So far, according to the official register on the government’s gender pay gap service website, a total of 279 construction firms have provided details, up from just 84 on 22 March.

In total, 8,890 businesses have now submitted a report, just shy of the estimated 9,000 companies large enough to be required to do so. 

The Government Equalities Office has declined to reveal how many construction firms are expected to have to report details of their gender pay gap.

Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission warned that those who fail to make the deadline "can’t row back" and will be named and shamed. 

Hilsenrath told the Guardian: "Let me be very very clear: failing to report is breaking the law.

"We have the powers to enforce against companies who are in breach of these regulations. We take this enormously seriously. We have been very clear that we will be coming after 100% of companies that do not comply."

The increase in the number of companies reporting their gender pay gap has given further insight into the disparity in pay between men and woman.

Major firms to have been added to the list since the end of March are Balfour Beatty, which reported a women’s mean hourly rate 15% lower than men’s, Interserve Construction (which has a rate 30.3% lower for women), ISG Construction (34.7% lower), Morgan Sindall Group (31% lower), Sir Robert McAlpine (29.4% lower), and Skanska Construction UK (10.6% lower).

Among the companies shown to have the largest difference in pay are building services firm James Frew, where the women’s hourly rate is 62% lower (on a mean basis) than men, and Lorne Stewart, where the women’s hourly rate is 45.6% lower.