Deputy urges firms to help combat Jersey's gender pay gap

Statistics found men earn an average of £350 more than women per month

A Jersey politician has called on firms with over 50 employees to report their annual gender pay gap data.

Lodging the proposition, Deputy Louise Doublet said "we must stop holding women back with outdated perceptions and biases".

At the current rate of change, she said most women now aged over 38 would be retired before the pay gap closed.

A report published in February said Jersey's gender pay gap remained at 14%.

"Persistent gender norms mean that women still take on the majority of household and childcare tasks," added Deputy Doublet.

"Unequal distribution of these tasks can result in a motherhood penalty in the workplace and this is a significant contributor to the gender pay gap."

Ms Doublet said if the move was approved by the States Assembly and a target percentage of these firms failed to comply voluntarily, the government would prepare "mandatory gender pay gap reporting legislation".

Formerly chair of the Gender Pay Gap Review Panel, Ms Doublet said there had been "pockets of progress" on closing the gap in some industries.

But she said overall it had not really improved - and had "even widened in some areas".

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