Almost seven in 10 (68%) European employees state that they would consider looking for a new job if they discovered an unfair gender pay gap at their organisation, according to research by human resources management software organisation ADP.
Its Workforce view in Europe 2019 report, which surveyed 10,585 employees across France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the UK, also found that 23% of UK respondents believe that gender pay gap reporting is necessary at their organisation; this increases to 26% of those aged between 16 and 34.
Jeff Phipps (pictured), managing director at ADP UK, said: “The report shows that [employees’] attitude towards inequality is changing, especially when it comes to the gender pay gap.
“Employees are prepared to vote with their feet, risking severe engagement, performance and reputational issues for the [organisations] concerned.”
The prospect of undertaking gender pay gap reporting is relatively popular with employees in Spain (34%), Switzerland (34%) and Italy (30%), but only 11% of employees in the Netherlands agree with gender pay gap reporting requirements.
Almost three-quarters (73%) of Italian respondents would consider looking for another job if there was an unfair gender pay gap at their organisation, compared to 68% of staff who work in the UK and in Spain. More than half (54%) of employees in France also agree with this.
The majority (81%) of respondents aged between 16 and 34 would think about leaving their job if they found that their employer was paying men and women unequally.
Phipps added: “Despite widespread calls for change, the gender pay gap appears deeply ingrained in workplaces in the UK, and the best way to move the needle is to approach it from a social, political and organisational perspective.
“Communities, the government and [organisations] need to work together to redefine gender roles in society, provide policies that nurture and prepare women for positions of power and businesses should design a workplace that works for everyone and ensure that women are getting a fair chance to progress in their career.”
