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Jersey businesses could be required to regularly report the gender pay gap in their workforce in future under plans being explored by the government.
A report released by Statistics Jersey last week showed that the island's gender pay gap had increased from 10% to 12% in the months leading to June 2022 - its highest level since 2016.
Speaking to Express and the JEP ahead of International Women's Day, Chief Minister Deputy Kristina Moore said the government was "actively considering" mandatory reporting of pay gap statistics, and had already produced templates to help them with reporting.
Organisations in the UK with a headcount of 250 or more must publish their gender pay gap reports by 30th March each year (4th April for private or voluntary sector organisations), but this is a measure currently not required by private companies in Jersey.
Pictured: Chief Minister Kristina Moore
In 2022, the report from Jersey's Gender Pay Gap Review Panel found that a majority of stakeholders supported the introduction of mandatory reporting.
The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) believed it should be a "priority" and the Diversity Network said it was "necessary to ignite real change".
The Panel recommended that the government should "take the necessary action to introduce statutory gender pay gap reporting in Jersey which should include a requirement for businesses to publish a 5-year action plan alongside their reports."
Pictured: Last week, Jersey's Gender Pay Gap was reported at its highest level since 2016.
In response to the potential impact on the business community, it also recommended that "a consultation should be undertaken with businesses in order to determine the appropriate threshold level for mandatory reporting and what level of support businesses might require in order to report on their gender pay gaps effectively."
Deputy Moore said: "Other countries have achieved much in terms of board diversity without having to impose mandatory quotas, and as society progresses and there is data awareness of the importance of diversity, then we are making progress."
Pictured: The newly diverse Ministerial team, with a record number of female Deputies, says it is taking action on gender pay inequality.
She continued: "While Jersey's pay gap is still better than the international average, we are not in any way complacent. We can always do better. It is an area that we will continue to focus and monitor and we encourage companies at this stage to voluntarily report their gender pay gap.
"We have developed a template to share with companies to help them and make the process easier."
The Chief Minister recently delegated responsibility for equality, diversity and inclusion to Home Affairs Minister Deputy Helen Miles and Deputies Louise Doublet and Hilary Jeune.
Speaking this afternoon, Assistant Minister Deputy Louise Doublet commented: "Although international comparisons show that the Jersey pay gap is lower than the OECD average, and lower than the UK, the Council of Ministers does not believe it is acceptable for Jersey to have a gap of that size, or any size.”
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