Key facts
- Employees should have the legal right to know colleagues' earnings, the EHRC said.
- Employers should be banned from asking about salary history to prevent discrimination.
- The EHRC wants employers to provide pay details including bonuses and overtime.
- The watchdog believes this will help reduce pay discrimination, especially against women.
The UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has recommended that employees should have a legal right to discover what their colleagues earn. The watchdog also proposed that employers should be prohibited from inquiring about an applicant's salary history when making job offers, aiming to prevent the perpetuation of historical pay discrimination. The EHRC urged lawmakers to mandate that employers provide specific salary information, such as basic pay, hours worked, comparative pay data, and details on bonuses and overtime. The commission argued that such transparency would be instrumental in reducing pay disparities, particularly those affecting women. John Kirkpatrick, the EHRC's chief executive, stated that asking about salary history can embed past disadvantages into future pay. The Fawcett Society, a gender equality advocacy group, has echoed these concerns, noting that such practices can maintain inequalities based on gender, race, and disability.