The Employment Equality Act 1998 (Section 20A) (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2022 (Regulations) have been published today, 3 June 2022.
As we previously reported (here), the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 provides the legislative basis for gender pay gap (GPG) reporting in Ireland. It requires organisations to report on their GPG across a range of metrics. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth had previously published guidance for employers on calculating their gender pay gap metrics (discussed here). The Regulations are binding on employers and provide further detail on how GPG reporting will operate in practice.
Employers are required to select a date in the month of June each year, which will become their “relevant date” for the purposes of the Regulations (Relevant Date). The requirements set out under the Regulations will initially apply to “relevant employers” who have 250 or more employees (including part-time workers) on their Relevant Date. Employers will be required to report on their GPG metrics once each year, within six months of their Relevant Date. The first reporting period will be the 12 months preceding the employer’s Relevant Date.
Under the Regulations, relevant employers will be required to report on the following information regarding their “relevant employees” for the period of 12 months ending on the Relevant Date they have selected:
- Information relating to mean hourly remuneration
- Information relating to median hourly remuneration
- Information relating to bonus remuneration and benefits in kind
- Information relating to quartile pay bands.
The information must be published or made available within six months of the employer’s Relevant Date. Where the information shows differences relating to remuneration that are referable to gender, the employer must publish a written statement which sets out the reasons for the GPG, in the employer’s opinion. The written statement must also state the measures (if any) being taken, or proposed to be taken, by the employer to eliminate or reduce their GPG.
Employers may publish the information listed above, along with a report, where relevant, on their website in a manner that is accessible to their employees and the public. Where they do not have a website, the employer may make the information and report, where relevant, available in physical form for inspection during normal business hours by their employees and the public at their registered office or place of business. The information, and report, where relevant, must remain available for inspection for three years from the date of publication.
The Regulations provide further clarity on the types of remuneration to be included in GPG calculations, as well as detail on how an employee’s total number of working hours can be calculated.
Next steps
Relevant employers, with 250 or more relevant employees, must now select their Relevant Date in June 2022. Employers should ensure they have plans in place for calculating their GPG metrics in preparation for reporting in December 2022.
For more information on GPG reporting please contact a member of our Employment Group or reach out to your usual William Fry contact.
